What Happens In Vegas DOES NOT Stay In Vegas (revised 2020)
by TwilightMommyof4girls
Summary: Straight-laced Bella Swan and her wild and crazy gay BFF Jake go to Vegas to celebrate. Jake may have to hand over his wild child crown when the trip is done. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Not for Dr Bella Swan... AH Non Canon
1. Chapter 1

Las Vegas; the city that never sleeps.

Why anyone thought this would be a good idea when I really needed a weekend off to relax and sleep, I'll never know.

"Come on, Bella," my best friend moaned. "There is money waiting to be gambled, drinks waiting to be drunk and men waiting to be ogled!"

"Jake!" I replied. "Honestly! Quit acting like you are eighteen!"

"Honey," he replied. "I'm not acting eighteen, but not all of us can act fifty when we aren't even half that."

"I am half that, thank you very much," I replied.

"Sorry, Dr. Swan," he replied, like a scolded schoolboy.

"Oh, cut it out already. I left my stethoscope in Seattle and so the name tag stays there too," I said, sticking out my tongue at him, before heading into the bathroom to get ready.

Jake was my very best friend. He was also a nurse at the hospital where I had just finished my residency the day before this surprise Vegas trip.

I put on some light makeup, finished pulling my hair up, slipped out of the yoga pants and sweater I had worn to leave the hospital and slid into the little black dress that Jake bought for me when we arrived in Vegas.

"There is no way, I can go out in this!" I said to him as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

"Why not, Baby Girl?" he asked innocently from the other room. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah! Where's the rest of it?" I replied, coming out of the bathroom, in the tight black dress that barely covered my bottom.

"Hot Mama!" Jake said, clapping his hands and wolf whistling for good measure. "That's what I'm talking about!"

"Jake," I whined. "I can't go out like this!"

"Baby Girl, you look incredible. Who knew you had such hot legs under those scrubs?" he said. "You really need to show them off more often. Now put on those yummy shoes. Mama has the need to spend some of my hard earned dough!"

"These shoes are death traps! Are you trying to kill me?" I asked, opening the shoebox he handed me.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," he sighed. "You know I'm going to get my way eventually. Why don't you just cooperate?"

"I will, on one condition," I said, trying to decode exactly how to word my condition. Jake was a master of loopholes!

"What's the condition?" he asked, knowing he had me.

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," I said. "No mention of this trip or anything that is said or done here to anyone!"

"Agreed," he said.

"No pictures on Instagram," I said. Jake was the Instagram Queen.

"Fine," he said with a frown.

"No Facebook! No Twitter," I said.

"Not even one?" he asked.

"Nope," I said. "No What's App or any other app. NOTHING!"

"Fine," he said.

"No annoying innuendo at work, no hinting, no insinuating, _NOTHING_," I said.

"Whatever you say," he said with a sigh.

"And neither of our fathers will know anything!" I said.

"Fine!" he sighed dramatically.

"I will check my seriousness at the door, wear the little black dress that barely covers my ass and the death trap heels. I will allow myself to get completely sloshed on any fruity drink that you deem proper, BUT if you ever breath a word of this to anyone then you never get to dress me again and I get to wear my Crocs whenever I want, especially when I go out with you," I said, sealing the deal.

"Not the Crocs," he said, looking completely horrified.

"Yes the Crocs.," I said. "Now do we have a deal or am I going to take the dress off and climb into the nice, warm, inviting bed for the sleep that I should have been getting this weekend before you kidnapped me and took me to Vegas?"

"You drive a hard bargain," he said, glaring at me.

"That I do," I replied.

"Fine," he said. "But you have to wear your hair down."

"Fine," I said.

He happily pulled the clip out of my hair and let it fall. My long, dark, wavy hair hung to the middle of my back and Jake spent the next five minutes making it perfect.

"Am I good to go?" I asked.

"I can't take a picture?" he asked.

"No!" I replied.

"Fine," he said in a mopey tone before perking up to add, "To the bar!'

I stepped into the death trap heels and grabbed my little clutch.

_Ready as I'll ever be,_I thought to myself.

We made our way to the elevator and down to the lobby. Jake practically ran across the lobby to the little nightclub that was located next to the casino.

I just laughed as I saw my friend in his hot pink tuxedo running off in front of me like a kid heading for a candy shop.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

I had just finished a 36-hour shift at noon, my last shift as a resident, and Jake told me we needed to celebrate.

"Fine," I had agreed, without checking what I was agreeing to. _I mean how much trouble can you find at noon, in Seattle, on a Friday. _What I failed to realize is that I hadn't told him we were supposed to stay in Seattle. I hoped into his yellow mustang and dozed against the door. The next thing I knew I was being hauled through the airport and onto a plane to Vegas.

"Jake," I said. "I don't even have a change of clothes or a toothbrush!"

"I've got you covered," he said tapping his little carryon bag. "And the rest we'll pick up in Vegas!"

"But I need to sleep," I whined.

"Sleep on the plane!" he said.

"Fine," I said.

I had known Jake since we were both in diapers. Our fathers had initially hoped that we would get together, but by the time we were thirteen, it was obvious to everyone, that I wasn't Jake's type. His father took in in stride and decided that as long as we were best friends, that was good enough.

"Come on, Girl," he hollered. "The night is young and I need to _PAR-TAY_!"

"I'd be faster if you hadn't insisted on putting me in these death traps," I yelled back as I continued along slowly.

He was the Ying to my Yang. I studied and he partied. I was serious; he couldn't be serious if you paid him. He kept me from becoming a boring fuddy-duddy, and I kept him somewhat grounded.

Once I got into the club I spotted the pink panther at the bar.

"I'll have a Hot Screaming Orgasm," he said to the bartender. "And Baby Girl wants Sex On The Beach."

_Did I mention he only allows us to drink drinks with embarrassing names?_

I rolled my eyes and the bartender laughed at him. We had our drinks and clinked them together as we always did.

"What happens in Vegas," he said loudly.

"Stays in Vegas!" I replied.

"Now," he said as I hammered back my drink. "Here is the key card for your room."

"What?" I asked. _We were sharing a room weren't we?_

"I don't know what you have planned, Baby Girl. But I want to get lucky and you would certainly cramp my style," he said.

"Jake!' I said, laughing at him. "At least remember to be safe!"

"Always. Now, I know you aren't like that," he said, smiling wickedly at me. "But I stuck something in your purse just in case!"

"Jacob Black!" I said, knowing he had probably slipped condoms in my purse. "You know I'm not like that!"

"Let's drink!" he said, ignoring me. "Bartender. The little lady would like Cum in Her Panties and I will have Sex with the Bartender."

"Maybe later," the guy said winking at Jake. Jake smiled wickedly. The drinks were in front of us in a moment and the bartender leaned in and told Jake that he was off at midnight.

"Lucky me!" Jake said as he moved away. "I'm going to get lucky with that big hunk of man meat!"

"Ewwww, Jake," I said slapping him. "I'm going to dance. Have fun flirting with your new boy-toy, and watch my purse!"

I made my way out to the dance floor where lots of frenzied bodies were rubbing on each other. The alcohol had obviously hit my system as I found a spot and started to move with the music. _What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,_I reminded myself.

I was lost in the music when a man came and grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into his arms.

"You are so beautiful," he said into my ear as he pressed himself close to me. I could feel that he was already standing at attention and I tried to extricate myself from his arms. The copper haired man held on for dear life and I started to consider my options. Stiletto to the foot, then knee to the groin, was sounding pretty good to me.

"Edward, you tool," came a bellowing voice. "Let go of the pretty girl."

"No," he said, sounding like a petulant child.

"Let go now, or I'll take a picture and send it to Rose," he said again.

That did it. Actually Edward decided he wanted distance so bad at that point he actually shoved me away from him. Drinks, death trap heels, crowded dance floors plus a shove from a severely inebriated man were a lethal combination and I felt myself heading for the floor. Before I got there, a pair of strong arms reached out and grabbed me, saving me from a few bruises to be certain.

"Please excuse my brother, Beautiful," he said against my ear as he pulled me against his muscled chest. "The man can't hold his alcohol."

"No harm," I said breathlessly, not from the near fall, but from the feel of this giant of a man that held me in his arms.

"We are here for his bachelor party and I promised his fiancée that I wouldn't let him get drunk and carried away," he said. "Let me get him back to the other guys at the table and then I would love to dance with you."

"I'd like that," I said, smiling up at him. He smiled at me and his dimples came into play full force. _Hello Dimples, may I lick you, please? _He squeezed me once more and grabbed his brother under the arm and dragged him off the dance floor. He was gone for quite a while and I was just about ready to give up waiting and head back to the bar when he was standing in front of me.

"Now," he said as he pulled me into his arms. "Let me introduce myself properly. The name's Emmett and I am very happy to meet you."

"Bella," I said, smiling up at him and melting into his arms.

Emmett was absolutely gorgeous, tall, incredibly well toned, and of course there was the dimples; those tasty, sexy dimples. We danced for a few songs and there were no words shared, just the movement of our bodies.

"Can I get you a drink?" he asked after a bit.

"Yes please," I said smiling up at him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him as we made our way through the crowd. "And I should get my purse from my friend before he takes off and leaves me without a way back to my room."

"He?" Emmett asked, letting my hand drop and pulling away from me a bit.

"It's not like that," I said, as I grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to me again. "I can show you better than I can explain."

He shrugged his shoulders and followed me back towards the bar, our hands still intertwined, although he seemed a little reluctant.

"Jake," I said, as I got close.

Jake turned from his position ogling the bartender and smiled at me. Then he caught sight of Emmett, directly behind me, and finally at our linked hands.

"Baby Girl," he exclaimed happily, pulling me in for a hug.

"Jakey," I replied.

"Holy hot stuff!" he whispered. "Nice one Swan!"

"Jake," I said pulling out of the hug. "This is Emmett."

"Hello, Hot Stuff," Jake said, eyeing Emmett like he was a piece of eye candy.

"Sorry, Man," Emmett said with a laugh. "I bat for the other team."

I was glad my gay best friend didn't put him off.

"Pity," Jake said, eye-fucking him quickly.

Emmett pulled me against his chest and whispered into my ear.

"I see what you mean," he said, and I just smiled up at him and winked. _What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas._

"What's your poison, Sweet Girl?" he asked me.

"Anything that isn't embarrassing to order," I replied at the same time as Jake ordered his next drink from the bartender.

"I'd like a Cum on Your Face," he said.

I rolled my eyes as I felt Emmett laugh against my back, where he was still tightly pressed. He ordered a beer for himself and a Cosmo for me._Ahhh, a normal drink! _I smiled at him and he winked at me. We talked to Jake a little, when his bartender returned.

"Hey, man," the bartender said to Jake. "Bobby is covering for me. Let's get out of here." Jake practically threw my purse at me in his haste to leave.

"See you tomorrow!" I said as he got up to leave.

"Have fun! Flight's at 1:00 so we meet in the lobby at 11:00. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" he whispered in my ear as he hugged me goodbye. With that Jake was gone and I was happily pressed against Emmett's chest.

"Dance again?" he asked me.

I nodded and let him lead me back to the dance floor. As we got there, a random slow song came on and he pulled me tight against him and lowered his head to mine. I could feel his breath on my lips as I lifted my face to meet his. My lips met his softly at first, but that wasn't enough for either of us and within seconds our lips were pressed together hard and his tongue came out to lick along my bottom lip. There was no question in that movement it was a demand; a demand that I was happy to fulfill as I opened my mouth to him. His tongue entered my mouth quickly and my tongue met it full force. I could taste the beer and the sweet taste that was all him.

Everything else ceased to exist as our lips and tongues danced frantically with each other. His hands latched onto the bottom of my ass as he lifted me to meet his kiss more closely. Propriety went out the window as I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling myself closer to him.

"Let's get out of here," Emmett said. "I have a car."

"Yes," was all I said. He carried me off the dance floor, neither of us wanting to be parted from the other. He carried me right out of the hotel and no sooner did I feel the cool night air hit my skin, when a car door opened and I was pulled into the back of a limo.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I responded breathlessly.

Emmett positioned himself on the seat better and pulled me onto his lap, reattaching his lips to mine. I felt the car begin to move, though I don't remember Emmett giving the driver any instructions... Frankly I just didn't care.

My hands found purchase in the front buttons of Emmett's shirt and I began to undo them frantically. His shirt was open and my hands rubbed against the smooth skin of his incredibly muscled chest.

"God, Bella," he said, as I lowered my mouth to kiss his neck and down towards the chest that I found myself wanting to lick.

Emmett didn't let me have my way long, before he moved me so that I was sitting on the seat and he was kneeling on the floor. He moved to press himself against me as his lips found the soft exposed skin of my throat.

"Emmett," I cried out as his hands moved under the hem of my dress, against the bare skin of my legs.

He rubbed his hands up and down my thighs, pushing my dress up further with each pass as his mouth ravaged the exposed skin on my neck and shoulders. My hands travelled all over his exposed chest and back, feeling each ripple in the muscles.

"Bella," he moaned. "I want you. I want you now."

"Yes," I said.

He pulled my dress up, exposing my soaking wet panties and groaned, placing a chaste kiss over them, before working the dress up and over my head.

"Fuck, yeah," he said as my bare breasts were revealed to him. _Thank God I didn't need a bra with this dress! One less piece of clothing to get in the way! _His mouth dove down and latched onto my breast and I moaned in pleasure as he began to kiss and nip at the sensitive flesh.

"Please," I moaned as I wrapped my fingers into his short hair. He lifted me off the seat, so that I was straddling him, my bare chest pressed against his.

"Emmett," I moaned into his mouth as he lowered his head to kiss me again. Our tongues jockeyed for position, neither trying to dominate the other, just seeking out all the pleasure they could. I reached down between us and began to unbuckle his pants. I couldn't wait anymore.

"Yes," he hissed as my hand came in contact with his large cloth covered bulge.

He couldn't wait for my fumbling attempts to unbuckle his pants and moved my hand so he could do it himself. As soon as he had them undone I was tugging at them, pulling them down and away from the area I wanted so desperately. They needed to be out of my way and fast. Once I had them pulled past his knees, he kicked them the rest of the way off. He was left in his Calvin Klein boxer briefs. _Shit, was that man HOT!_

With the majority of our clothes gone he had me in his arms, his near naked body pressed against mine as our lips sought each other once more. His hands moved down to my panty covered ass and he grasped it in his huge hands, kneading the sensitive flesh there. _God! Nothing had ever felt this good!_

My hands roamed down to his hips, feeling the lovely indent of the muscles there as I began to tug the waistband down. _I wanted all of him, and I wanted him now!_He lifted his hips so that I could lower them over his ass and I moved so I could uncover him, completely._Thank God! The man did not disappoint!_

"Bella," he said breathlessly as I reached my hand down to grasp his hard length. "Oh, God, Woman!" he moaned as I started to move my hand up and down his shaft.

Without warning, he flipped me flat onto my back, onto the long, leather bench seat.

"These need to go," he growled as he grabbed my little lace panties and ripped them away. I was bare before him, very bare!

"Oh!" I gasped as he moved his hand up to touch my sweet wet folds.

"So wet," he moaned.

"Yes," I hissed, as a single finger danced along me. "Emmett! God!"

"I want to take this slow, but I can't," he said.

"Not slow," I said. "I need you. Hard! Fast!"

He lowered his body to mine and lined himself up, using his hand to rub the head of his engorged member along my wetness. Then he pressed into me slowly. I felt myself opening to him, stretching to fit all of him inside.

"Emmett," I cried as he finally filled me completely.

"So tight, Sweetheart," he said.

He began to move in me then, stretching and filling me, bringing me pleasure like I'd never felt before. I wasn't a virgin, I'd had a few boyfriends through the years, but they were selfish, worrying more about their pleasure than mine. Emmett was different. He filled me and stretched me so tenderly, that even as we moved harder and faster against each other now, his concern for my pleasure was still evident.

"Put your legs up, Sweetheart," he said to me and I did, raising them to wrap my ankles around his neck. _Thank God, I was so flexible! _He moved in me deeper, and the angle caused him to bump up against my most sensitive areas and I couldn't help but to cry out as I felt the muscles in my stomach begin to contract.

"Emmett... so close," I cried out.

"Me too," he said, moving in and out harder and faster. He moved his hand to my bundle of nerves and began to circle the little nub rapidly. That was it. I was done!

"Emmett!" I screamed as the dam broke loose and my orgasm crashed over me. The clenching of my internal muscles must have triggered his release as he followed, seconds later, roaring my name. His head dropped to my chest as my hands continued to play with the muscles on his back and shoulders.

"Never," he said breathlessly. "Never been that good."

"Umm hmm," I agreed, unable to even form words.

He shifted us on the seat, uncoupling us, though it caused us both to groan at the lack of contact

"Thank you," he said, kissing me softly. "That was incredible."

"Thank you," I giggled. "It was."

We stayed there, naked, as we watched the light of the strip going by before I shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"A little," I replied.

"Here," he said, handing me his shirt, which I happily slipped on. He reached down and grabbed his pants, slipping them on.

"Thank you," I said as I cuddled back against his side.

This is where it should have gotten awkward, but it didn't. We just snuggled together watching the scenery pass as we were trapped in our own perfect little bubble.

"Want a drink?" he asked, after a bit. He was running his hand through my hair. Nothing had ever felt this good, _EVER_!

"Please," I said.

He grabbed a bottle of champagne and popped it open, pouring us each a glass.

"Is this your first trip to Vegas?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said biting my lip. "I was too busy in school before now."

A look of horror washed over his face momentarily. "Not high school, right?" he asked.

"No," I giggled. "College."

"Thank God! I didn't think so but... you never know," he said, smiling at me.

He talked to the driver after that, instructing him to give us a tour of the town.

We didn't talk much, other than to speak about some of the landmarks. After the first bottle of champagne, another was opened, and another I think. The next thing I was aware of was waking up in a hotel room. _How the hell did I get here?_ The last thing I remembered was the limo and the champagne! _Was this room even mine?_I wasn't sure. I had never been in mine before, so it could have been.

I looked around a little more; Emmett was in bed next to me, gloriously naked. I smiled to myself. _Way to score, Bella! Fuck, he is hot! _I stretched slightly and moved my body. It ached pleasantly. I moved to sit up then I felt the tell tale sign! Uh oh! Hangover! I dropped back down to the pillow, carful not to disturb Emmett. He was even beautiful in his sleep! Reluctantly, I looked at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed, 11:17! _SHIT! I was supposed to meet Jake at 11:00!_

I jumped out of bed as gracefully as I could considering the hammering in my head and grabbed my dress from where it hung on a chair. The shoulder of my dress was ripped and I looked like hell. I looked around to see if there was anything else I could wear and found Emmett's shirt on the floor._That would have to do!_I grabbed my shoes and purse before I ran out the door._Jake was going to kill me. _I hit the lobby at 11:30 and Jake was standing there looking rather dishevelled himself.

"We're late," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the front door to a taxi stand.

As we got in the taxi and the taxi began to move, Jake looked at me with an evil grin.

"Not one word!" I said to him. "What happened in Vegas stays in Vegas."

We got to the airport without any further words and as soon as I got there I ducked into the bathroom and changed back into the clothes I was wearing when I arrived in Vegas. We got through security and onto the plane with no further incidents and I dropped into my seat, ready to sleep my way back to Seattle.

"Bella?" Jake asked in an odd tone.

"Yeah," I responded, tiredly.

"What was that guy's name again?" he asked.

"Emmett," I said. "No more questions Jake. I have the hangover from hell."

"What's his last name?" he asked.

"No clue," I said. "I want to sleep, Jake. My head has a pulse of it's own."

"Baby Girl, I have something to show you," he said.

"What is it?" I asked.

He lifted my left hand so it was directly in front of me and I blinked twice before I realized what the hell I was looking at. There, on my left ring finger, was a huge diamond ring, with a matching wedding band beneath it.

_OH SHIT! What happened in Vegas definitely would not stay in Vegas!_


	2. Aftermath

"This has to be a joke," I said staring at my hand. I was now wide-awake and the pounding headache was completely forgotten.

"I don't think so, Baby Girl," Jake said, examining my hand closely.

"Why not?" I asked.

"This is the real deal. It's platinum and diamonds. It must have cost a pretty penny!" he said. Jake knew jewellery; I was screwed.

"Here," he said, motioning his hand to me. "Let me see." I held my hand up to him and he examined it closely as the stewardess ran through her spiel.

"At least two carats," he muttered, "the cut... I think this is a Tiffany ring!"

"What?" I asked.

"Take it off for a minute," he said. I quickly slipped the well fitting ring off my finger, as well as the matching wedding band. Neither were plain bands, both had diamonds inlaid in them. I could feel myself beginning to hyperventilate as the plane pulled away from the gate.

"Not only did you bag yourself a husband, but you bagged yourself a rich one," Jake said. "This set is easily worth forty thousand."

"What?" I asked, feeling sick again.

He handed them back to me and without thought or care, I slipped them back on my ring finger.

"Have you checked your clutch?" Jake asked. "Maybe you will find something in there."

"It's in your bag," I told Jake. We had to wait for the fasten seatbelts light to be turned off, but the second it was, Jake was grabbing his bag from the overhead compartment. He handed me the clutch, which I opened tentatively. First, I saw the little blue Tiffany box, then I saw the condoms... we hadn't used any.

"Oh God!" I said, putting my head in my hands.

"What?" Jake asked.

"We never used protection," I groaned.

"Well, at least Charlie won't kill him for knocking you up out of wedlock," he said happily.

"No," I replied. "He'll just kill me for getting married without even knowing my husband's last name!"

Jake started to laugh wholeheartedly. "You just became a country song, Baby Girl," he laughed.

"What?" I asked.

Jake grinned at me wickedly. I had just asked him to sing. He loved to sing, though he was terrible at it! Especially when he sang with a funny accent. This was a disaster waiting to happen!

"I don't even know my last name," he crooned, rather loudly in his best female country singer's voice. "My momma would be so ashamed. It started off, hey cutie, where are you from? And then it turned into, oh no, what have I done? And I don't even know my last name." It wasn't good and people around us began to stare or shush him. So embarrassed!

I buried my head in my hands again and the tears began to fall.

"I am a country song," I sniffled.

"Well, just sort of," Jake said. "She married a guy with a pinto. You married a guy with a limo and a ring from Tiffany's."

"What do I do?" I asked him.

"Well," he said soothingly. "You get yourself some sleep. Nothing can happen until we reach Seattle, then we'll call Tiffany's. They have to know who bought the expensive engagement and wedding set last night and the we can look him up from there."

"How did you get so smart?" I asked him.

"I had a good teacher," he said kissing the side of my head as I leaned on is shoulder. "Although..."

"Although what?" I asked.

"Although I lost the title of 'Wild One'. That's all you now, Baby Girl," he said with a wink.

"Uh," I groaned, knowing that no matter how long I lived and how this all turned out I would_NEVER_ live this down.

I don't know what came over me at that moment but I started to cry. Poor Jake, that was one thing he didn't know how to deal with, tears.

"What am I supposed to do?" I cried.

"Leave it to me, Baby Girl," Jake soothed, nervously. "I'll make this all better."

Somehow, I knew he would.

"So did you have a good trip?" I asked once I had calmed down.

"Yeah," he snickered. "I invited him to come up and visit."

"What you're open for a repeat performance?" I asked. Jake was a man-whore to the extreme. He seldom saw anybody twice, so this was big.

"That I am," he said. "We both may have come away from this trip with something special."

"I highly doubt that," I said. "Come the light of day, Emmett will probably see that I wasn't worth the trouble."

"Baby Girl, you are most definitely worth the trouble," he said.

The rest of the plane ride was silent, which I must say, after Jake's lovely country song sing-a-long, I was grateful for. The plane landed and Jake dragged me through the airport to his car. Once I was in, he had me Google Tiffany's in Vegas on my iPhone.

"I got a number," I said.

"Well, dial it! Let's find out your husband's name," he said.

"Wait!" I said. "They were only open until midnight... and I have very clear memories until at least two."

"So he must be a real big shot if they opened up after hours for him," Jake said.

"I hope you're right," I said.

I dialled the number and was connected to a live person, moments later. As soon as I heard the voice on the other end of the phone I froze and practically threw my phone at Jake. Jake took it, and shook his head.

"Hi," Jake said. "I was hoping you could tell me about a couple of customers you had last night, well, this morning, after hours," Jake said. "I understand completely, but the young lady in question was a little inebriated and she would like some help remembering a few details." He was quiet for a little bit, and then he let out a few uh-huhs and finally a brief thank you. I could tell from the look on his face that he hadn't got the information we wanted.

"All is not lost," he said.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well, I was right about your ring set! 2.5 carat round stone with a channel- set. The wedding band has an additional carat of diamonds in it," he said with a smile. "And it's a fifty thousand dollar set."

"What?" I asked, stunned. "That's more than my student loans!" I was a small town girl. Born and raised in a town named for a piece of cutlery, for crying out loud. Hell, the ring was probably worth more than the house I grew up in!

Oh," Jake said with a smile, as I was still trying to wrap my head around the price of the ring. "You bought him a ring too."

"What?" I asked. "With my credit card?"

"Yup," he said.

"Oh God!" I said, digging into my clutch once more. I was cursing the damn American Express Card with the ten thousand dollar limit. I probably maxed it! If I am wearing a fifty thousand dollar ring, I was certain the ring he chose would be equally as flashy.

"I found it!" I said, pulling out a crumpled receipt. Apparently my husband had rather inexpensive tastes, as his ring was significantly less expensive than I expected.

"So how long are you going to be paying it off?" Jake asked.

"It's not bad," I said with a sigh. "As long as I don't double my student loan payment this month, I'll be able to cover it."

"Now, since they wouldn't tell me a name, we have to try to do this another way," Jake said. "Tell me everything you can about your hunk of a husband." He gave his eyebrows a little twitch, insinuating...

"Not going there, Jake," I said. I did not kiss and tell, no matter what the situation.

"How can you think like that?" he gasped and pretended to be wounded. Then he laughed, "Okay, I did mean it like that somewhat. But I want any details that you can provide that will help us locate this man."

"He was at the hotel for his brother's stag," I said.

"Did you catch his brother's name?" Jake asked hopefully.

"Edward. And all I know about Edward is that he has copper hair and can't hold his alcohol. Oh!" I said remembering something else. He is marrying someone named Rose!" I said.

"So Rose and Edward are getting married soon. Those aren't very common names. That should help," he said.

"Face it Jake!" I said, giving up hope. "It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Hey," he said. "I got you into this mess. I'm going to get you out."

"You didn't force me to marry some stranger in Vegas," I said with a frown. "That was all me."

"True," he said. "But I did drag you to Vegas and force you into that delicious dress."

"You can have ten percent," I said.

"I think I get fifty at least," Jake said.

"No, Emmett gets fifty, I'll take forty and you get ten," I said.

"There is no way you get forty and I get ten. I don't even think I'll give Emmett fifty. The man would have had to be dead to not want to tie you to him when you looked that good!" he said. We debated percentages of blame the entire drive back to my house. Finally coming up with something we could both live with as we pulled into the underground of our apartment building.

"Okay, Emmett gets thirty two and a half, you get thirty two and a half and I get thirty five," Jake said as we made our way up the elevator.

"Fine," I agreed. "You can have the lion's share of the blame since you hauled my ass to Vegas and made me wear that dress."

"And you can't forget those heels," Jake said.

"That cinches it," I said, causing him to grin. The elevator opened at our floor and Jake gave me a hug before we separated, heading to our own apartments.

"Love you, Baby Girl," he said.

"I love you too, Jakey," I said as I unlocked my door and headed in. "But..."

"But what?" he asked, turning around and narrowing his eyes at me.

"You need to share your thirty five with Edward. He was the reason that Emmett was in Vegas at all," I said, then closed the door to my apartment before Jake could get another word in. It wasn't often that you get the last word in where Jake is concerned.

_Food, shower, then bed_, I decided.

I walked into my small kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove and set about making a marinara sauce. Homemade was so much better than anything you can buy in a can, and it really didn't take that much longer. Before long the pasta was cooked to perfection and the sauce was bubbling happily in the pot.

I made myself a plate for now, and put a second serving in a container for work, and put it in the fridge. I didn't work again until the graveyard shift Sunday night, so I was thrilled that Jake had arranged for us to fly home on Saturday.

Just as I finished my meal, the phone rang.

"Hello," I said.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" my father's voice came on the line. "When were you going to tell me?"

"I didn't have a chance... I just got back!" I said.

"Why did I have to hear the news from Jake?" he asked.

"Because Jake has a big mouth!" I seethed. "I am so going to kick his ass!"

"Well, at least he told me!" Charlie said. "Otherwise, I might have missed it completely."

Now I was confused!

"Dad?" I asked.

"Come on!" he said. "It's not every day that your little girl becomes a full fledged doctor!"

_I am so going to kill you, Jake!_

"It's not a big deal, Dad," I said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"It is," he said. "I am so proud of you, baby."

"Thanks, Dad," I said. We spoke for a few more minutes about nothing and everything, and then I begged off and ended the call. As soon as I was done I called Jake.

"You think you're so funny!" I said to him.

"I _know_ I am!" he said, laughing.

"I just about had a heart attack," I told him.

"Well," Jake said. "It was about time you said goodbye to your straight laced ways."

"I guess I did that," I said. "With gusto!"

"Baby Girl, I told you I was going to fix this," Jake said. "And I will."

"I applied to the state of Nevada to get a copy of your marriage license. It can take up to six weeks depending on when the chapel you got married at files it. So just relax," he said.

"So then we'll at least have a name, right?" I said.

"Right, then we can find your hubby and figure things out. Are you getting a divorce?" he asked.

"Yes! Well, maybe. Hell, I don't know," I said, causing Jake to laugh.

"There had to have been something there for you to have married him so quickly. Hold your judgement until you guys are reconnected," he said.

"I'm going to bed, Jake. Seriously!" I said.

"You do that. I'll see you at work bright and early Monday morning," he said.

"Don't expect to see me bright eyed and bushy tailed," I said. "I'll have been working twelve hours already."

"Ah the price you pay when you live the glamorous life of a doctor," he said.

I went into the bathroom and took a hot shower. My muscles were still all stiff and sore from the hot Vegas sexing with my husband.

_Gah! Husband!_

I took a shower and reached into my purse to grab my toothbrush which was in there. That's when I saw Emmett's shirt, which had been stuffed in there quickly at the Vegas Airport. I smiled at the memory of him and wondered how I had ended up married to such a God-like creature. I was certain he would want it annulled as soon as I contacted him. I pulled the shirt up to my nose and inhaled.

It smelled like him and I couldn't help but to pull it on and wrap it around me. After I brushed my teeth, I padded down the hall to my bedroom and slipped a pair of panties on. I climbed into my bed after that and looked at the wedding ring on my finger, struggling to remember him placing it there. The emotional drain of the last day and a bit, combined with the severe lack of sleep I had had over the previous few days had me asleep before I knew it.

My dreams were vivid, remembering every bit about my husband, even the trip to the ring store and the rooftop garden where we said our I do's, plus the celebration afterwards. I awoke midmorning with a renewed hope in finding my husband, and what may come afterwards.

I spent the morning cleaning the house and made a special trip in the afternoon to Tiffany's in Seattle. I told them that I was a doctor and would need a nice strong chain to hold my wedding and engagement rings while I was at work. The clerk looked at my rings and smiled, leading me to the more expensive platinum chains. I decided on a nice strong chain and placed my wedding set on it. It hung low enough, that they wouldn't fall out of my shirt easily while at work.

I got home, ate a quick meal, changed into some scrubs and headed for work with the extra pasta I had made the day before. It would make a great lunch for the next day, meaning I wouldn't have to suffer through cafeteria food, the bane of any doctor's existence.

My shift started off slow, and I found my mind wondering all night to the handsome man that I had married. I wish I knew what he remembered, or what he felt... Was he as mixed up by all this as I was?

At 6:40 am, I was paged and informed that all the staff was required to come to the staff room for a meeting in 10 minutes. Nurses who were still on shift, and supposed to be off at 7:00 would remain on the floor. Those just coming on were requested to join in on the meeting.

As I walked down to the conference room I greeted a few fellow doctors and lots of the nurses I had worked with during my time at the hospital, finally catching up with Jake just outside the conference room.

"So, Mr. I-know-Everything," I said to Jake. "What's the big pow-wow about?"

"No clue," he said. "They're springing this on me."

"Wow! Jake's in the dark! Curiouser and curiouser!" I said as I ducked into the meeting.

"What's this with thinking you can get the last word all the time?" he asked, and then added in a whisper. "I think it's this married stuff!"

"I'll wear the Crocs! All the time!" I warned.

He crossed his arms and looked away.

"Dr. Swan," Dr. Volturi said as I walked in. "Will you please join me up here."

"Yes, Sir," I said. Dr. Volturi is the chief of staff at the hospital. Everyone has guesses as to how old he is, but even Jake hasn't been able to figure it out. The average guess is about ninety.

As soon as I was by his side he proceeded to completely ignore me as the rest of the staff filed in.

"Attention everyone," he called as soon as the room was mostly full.

I went to move away to take a seat, figuring he had forgotten he even called me up, but he moved his hand and grabbed my bare arm, effectively holding me in place.

"I've called you all here for a couple of reasons," Dr. Volturi said as I stared at Jake. "First, as you all may or may not know, Dr. Swan completed her residency here last week and is now working on staff."

Everyone clapped and I blushed. I hated being the center of attention!

"Do you want to say a few words, Dr. Swan?" he asked.

"I look forward to working with everybody here some more," I said, shooting from the hip, as I knew Dr. Volturi's question was more of a demand. "I really enjoyed the last two years and I look forward to many more."

There was more polite applause.

"Now we have a new doctor joining the staff in a couple of weeks. He graduated the same year as Dr. Swan, but instead of being valedictorian at Stanford as she was, he was valedictorian at Dartmouth. He completed his residency in New York but has decided to return to Seattle to be with friends and family. Dr. Cullen will be in a little later to tour the facility and get the hang of things so please make sure to give him a warm welcome. He'll actually be starting work in three weeks, after his wedding and honeymoon," he said.

Everyone gave polite cheers. I know what all doctors fear. Usually the valedictorian is a snob. That was something I vowed never to become and I hoped that Dr. Cullen was the same.

"Thank you all for your time," Dr. Volturi said. "Now get out there and save some lives."

I would have, but unfortunately the man still had a grip on my arm.

Jake looked at me and shrugged his shoulders before mouthing that he would see me on the floor.

As soon as the room had cleared, Dr. Volturi said, "Dr. Swan, I am putting you in charge of Dr. Cullen this week. You will work side by side until he is comfortable with our set up."

"Yes, Sir," I said, praying again that Dr. Cullen was not a pompous jerk.

"I will bring him up to your floor as soon as he arrives," he said. "Good day."

I was dismissed and I knew better than to argue with the man. I made my way to my floor and waved to Jake as I walked by the nurse's station. There was no sense trying to talk to him now as the nurses were filling each other in on any changes that had occurred during the previous shift and any orders they needed to be aware of for the day. I decided to take the time to catch up on my charts in the back office.

"So," Jake said, some undetermined amount of time later, as I was finishing my last chart. "What did the old man want?"

"He told me that I get the honor of working with Dr. Cullen until he is comfortable with how things work," I said, trying to smile.

"Hope he isn't a pompous Ivy League prick like Watson," Jake said rolling his eyes.

"Me too," I said.

I handed Jake all the charts so he could return them to the desk as I stood up and stretched.

"I'm going to run a brush through my hair and brush my teeth before Dr. Cullen arrives," I said.

"Don't try too hard. The guy is engaged and you, my dear, are married," he said, sticking out his tongue.

"Jake," I growled as he giggled his way out of the room. I was really going to have to kill him.

I made my way to the locker room and cleaned up a bit. Just because I'd been on-shift for fifteen hours already was not a reason to have to look like it. I slipped into some clean scrubs and put my white coat on. I liked to look professional for rounds, as that was when we did most of our patient and family conversations.

As I stepped out onto the floor, I saw the elevator open and Dr. Volturi stepped off. I was about to step forward to introduce myself to Dr. Cullen when I saw him. My eyes nearly popped right out of my head as I realized who he was. Dr. Cullen, Dr. Edward Cullen! Edward who was marrying Rose and was brother to Emmett, my husband. I slammed myself against the wall so I wouldn't be seen as Dr. Volturi and Dr. Cullen headed towards the nurse's station.

I sent Jake an urgent text.

**I met Dr. Cullen in Vegas – he's my brother in law.**

I took a few deep breaths, knowing I didn't have long to stall and made my way to the floor. Dr. Volturi was talking to some of the nursing staff as Dr. Cullen stood off to the side, smiling kindly.

Jake looked at me and gave me the thumbs up signal. _Here goes nothing!_

"You must be Dr. Cullen," I said as I walked up to join the group.

"Dr. Swan," Dr. Volturi said, smiling at me. "Please show the young man around."

Without any further comment to anyone, Dr. Volturi swept off towards the elevator, leaving a very stunned Dr. Cullen in his wake.

"Hi," I said to him again. "I'm Isabella."

"Edward," he said smiling at me. "Pardon me for saying this, but you're awfully pretty to be a doctor."

"Thank you," I said.

_He doesn't recognize me! That you God... and whatever Edward was drinking in Vegas._

"Tell him," Jake mouthed to me.

I shook my head no.

"So, where do we start Dr. Swan?" he asked.

"Why don't we start with rounds," I said, knowing that would keep us busy for an hour or two.

Jake rolled his eyes at me. The next thing I knew I felt my phone vibrate, I knew Jake was texting me.

"Excuse me," I said as I turned to read Jake's text.

**Tell him or I'll get involved... and you won't like it much if I get involved.**

_Well crap! Las Vegas needs a new slogan!_

"Which nurse is charting for rounds today?" I asked, knowing Jake hated that more than anything else.

"I will," Jake answered, grinning at me, then at Dr. Cullen.

"Careful, Edward," I said. "He bites!"

Edward looked at me and then laughed.

"Don't mind her," Jake said, joining us with all the charts in his arms. "She's just jealous that I don't bite her!"

"Whatever, Jakey," I said.

I started giving the spiel about hospital protocol and then made my way to the first patient's room.

"Jessica Stanley has been here for seven weeks," I said. "She was in a car accident that has left her with multiple injuries, most severe of which is the brain injury. She will talk to you and ask questions like she understands everything that is going on, then five minutes later, nothing."

"So the accident affected her frontal lobe?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"Sorta like alcohol," Jake said. "You forget things that you should remember."

"I guess," Dr. Cullen said with a nervous laugh. "I wouldn't know; I don't drink often."

"Really?" Jake asked. "When was the last time you've been drunk?"

"This weekend, actually," he said with a nervous chuckle. "My brother and my friends took me to Vegas for my stag."

"Sounds fun," Jake said, smiling wickedly as I pointed to my feet behind Edward's back. "I took Bella to Vegas this weekend. She had a GREAT time."

"On that note," I said. "Time to see, Miss Stanley. Oh, and Edward, watch out for her, she's a bit of a flirt."

"And her gaydar is completely broken," Jake added. "Don't bend over anywhere near her. My booty still hasn't recovered from her last assault."

Edward blanched considerably as we walked into Jessica Stanley's room.

"Good morning, Miss Stanley," I said looking right at Jessica, before I noticed her father was visiting. "Nice to see you again, Colonel."

"Thank you, Dr. Swan," he said.

"I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Edward Cullen," I said, motioning towards Edward.

"Nice to meet you, Sir," he said to her father. "And you too, Miss Stanley."

_Ten points are awarded to the doctor with good bedside manner, for not forgetting the patient! _We spent the next few minutes with the Stanleys before I made the recommendation that I knew would be hard to take.

"Jessica, Colonel," I started. "Since the main injuries are healed, we feel it would be best to start looking for a rehab facility, where Jessica can recuperate for a few more months.

"Is that really necessary?" Colonel Stanley asked.

"No, Sir," Edward said, stepping in. "Rehab facilities are never necessary but they really offer the patient the best chance at a full recovery. They have excellent physio and occupational therapy in those places and it would be an excellent way to further her healing."

"Well," Jessica said. "I really want to get home and see Fluffy."

"Fluffy's dead, Jess," her father said softly to her. "He's been gone a long time." He took a deep breath before looking up at us. "I think we need to look into this some more. Thank you for your recommendations."

"No problem," I said. "Nurse Black will be in later with some pamphlets of places we recommend. Make sure you contact your lawyers, as I'm sure you could have the more expensive private clinics funded since the accident was not her fault."

"Thank you," Colonel Stanley said as Jessica sobbed again for a cat that had died when she was eight.

We walked out of the room and Jake said, "That went well."

"Yes, thank you, Edward," I said. "He needed to hear that it was the best option and you were able to get that across without coming out and saying that she really did need it."

"I could see the father getting defensive so I thought..." he said.

"You make such a good team," Jake said. "It's almost like you two are brother and sister. Do you have any siblings, Edward?"

"A brother and a sister," Edward said.

"Are they married?" Jake asked.

"Apparently," Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"What..." Jake started, when I broke in and interrupted him with details on the next patient.

I kept Edward talking and Jake silent for most of the next hour and almost escaped when I got an urgent page over the intercom. Jake made a halo symbol over his head.

"Excuse me," I said, moving towards the phone on the wall. It was an urgent call about a patient who had just been moved from our ward into a step down unit and was having issues with some meds. By the time I finished it was Jake was standing leaned against the wall and Edward had moved down the hall and was talking on his cell.

"Fiancée," Jake said.

"Bring the charts to the office and I'll deal with you later. I feel my credit card charging a few new pairs of Crocs." I threatened. "And maybe some Uggs!"

"You'll thank me some day," Jake sing-songed as he walked away.

"Sorry," Edward said as he re-joined me.

"No problem," I said.

We chatted some more and I showed him the rest of the floor, then around more of the hospital. He was interested and interesting. I told him that I had some homemade pasta that we could share for lunch if we added some salads from the cafeteria.

"My treat," he said. "Since you are providing the main course."

"Fine," I agreed.

We chatted as we ate and I found myself genuine liking this man who happened to be my brother-in-law. Shortly after we finished eating, I told him that we generally saw outpatients for a couple of hours in the afternoon and he agreed to sit in.

"Look, Edward," I said, before we went into the clinic that was directly across from the elevators. "I have really enjoyed getting to know you and I feel like I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything, Bella," he said, looking into my eyes.

"I've met you before," I said.

"What? I'm sure I would have remembered you," he said looking confused.

"You weren't in very good shape at the time," I said.

"Bella?" he asked looking completely confused.

"Look, I don't know how to explain. In fact, I'm still not sure that I've digested it myself," I said.

"Tell me, please!" Edward said.

I took a deep breath and blew it out. _Here goes nothing... and everything._

"I..." I started to say when I was aware of movement behind me.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen," the voice said. It was a voice I would know anywhere.

"Emmett," Edward said, smiling at his brother, while I stood completely frozen.

"I wasn't talking to you, Ed," Emmett said. "I was talking to my _WIFE_!"


	3. Hey, Bella - Meet the family!

**BPOV**

"I wasn't talking to you, Ed," Emmett said. "I was talking to my _WIFE_!"

"Your wife?" I heard a woman screech. "How the hell do you have a wife?"

"Emmett," I said, turning to face my husband.

"Rosalie," Edward said to the screeching woman.

I bit my lip nervously and looked between Emmett and the tall blonde woman who had appeared at his side.

"Who the hell is she, Edward?" Rosalie snapped.

"This is Dr. Swan," Edward said looking between Emmett and Rosalie.

"No," Emmett corrected, harshly. "This is my wife. Hello, Bella."

"Hi," I said, staring at him, trying to get a sense of how he felt. Emmett was staring at me with a cross between a smile and a scowl, and for the first time I noticed that there were other people here as well. I looked at the group momentarily and then at Emmett. I was absolutely speechless. There were four other people there; a statuesque woman with caramel colored hair, a blonde man that looked a hell of a lot like Emmett, only fairer and older, a short pixie woman with dark hair and the blonde man she seemed physically attached to.

"What were you about to say, Bella?" Edward asked.

"I was about to tell you that I met you before, in Vegas," I said, well aware that everyone was scrutinizing me.

"What? Were you one of the strippers?" Rosalie snarled.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, turning to face the blonde woman.

"You heard me!" she said. "Were you moonlighting as a Vegas hooker? I doubt you're even a doctor."

"You know what," I said to the tall willowy blonde. "It isn't often I find people that I just don't like, but I don't like you." I looked away from her, turning my body so that I was looking between Emmett and Edward.

"I will not be ignored," she hissed, lunging forward and grabbing my hair.

Edward and Emmett were just as quick and launched themselves on the blonde who was at least six inches taller than me, prying her fingers from my hair.

"Touch me again and I will file assault charges and have you permanently barred from the premises," I said, pulling my hair into some semblance of order again.

"You can't touch me," she hissed from her position in Emmett's massive arms.

"I have no desire to touch you," I said.

"Rosalie!" the caramel haired woman hissed threateningly. "Get a hold of yourself, or get out of here. You will not make a scene at Edward's workplace."

"Yes, Ma'am," she responded, before moving closer to me, giving me the snarkiest bitchiest look. I think it was meant to be intimidating but the rest of the situation was so unreal that I couldn't spare her more than a glance. "I don't have anything further to say to her. She's nothing but a money-grubbing whore and she needs to be put in her place like the white trash that she is!" she said, more quietly but still laced with venom.

Jake came out from his spot at the nurses' station with a scowl on his face. "What seems to be the problem out here?" he asked in his gruffest, most threatening voice.

"It's fine," I hissed in response, glaring at him.

"You," Emmett said to Jake. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Jake said in his best drama queen voice.

"What kind of sick mind-fuck is this?" Emmett said, almost to himself.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Look," Emmett said, harshly. "We need to talk!"

"No kidding," I said, looking over at the rest of the group that had gathered.

"Hey, Baby Girl," Jake said. "Why don't you use the doctor's lounge."

I nodded and Jake gripped onto my hand in a supportive gesture. I just shook my head at him, knowing that he had a hand in this.

"Fine," Emmett said.

"I'll get Watson up here for the clinic, Baby Girl," he said to me.

"Thanks, Jake," I said.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"I knew you had a hand in this," I told him, tears starting to well up in my eyes.

"I might have suggested that Edward invite his family up to see the hospital," he said.

"You had no right, Jake," I whispered harshly. "I would have handled this on my own and in private, not for the whole hospital to hear. This isn't over."

"Sorry, Baby Girl," he said. "I thought it would be more pleasant..."

"Quit meddling," I said to him.

He nodded and headed back to the nurses' station and I motioned for Emmett and his family to follow me. Once I got to the door, I opened it and Rosalie pushed past me rudely and into the lounge.

"So how much is this going to cost me?" the older blonde man asked, looking at me.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked.

"I'm not a stupid man," he said. "Give me a number."

"Dad," Emmett and Edward said in unison.

"Look, I really don't know what you expect me to say," I said.

"You're a doctor for fuck's sake. Don't think I am a stupid man. Tell me how much you want to end this stupidity quietly," he said.

"You think this is about money?" I asked.

"I know this is about money," Rosalie said.

"You know what," I said turning to her. "I don't know who the hell you are and I really don't care to find out. You are a loud and annoying shrew and if you don't shut the fuck up, I will have you removed from the premises permanently. So I recommend you zip it!"

"Rosie," Edward said, pulling her to the side.

"Now, why the hell would I want money from you?" I asked the blonde man.

"How much did you get for the rings?" Emmett asked, interrupting the conversation.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"When you pawned the rings, how much did you get?" he asked.

"You know what," I said, the tears that had started to well up in my eyes finally spilling over. "I don't know who any of you are, except for Edward, who I met briefly in Vegas and then worked with today, and Emmett, who I happened to marry when I was drunk. The rest of you... I don't..."

"What kind of fool do you think I am? Everybody knows us," the blonde said.

"Well apparently I'm a nobody, because I have no clue who any of you are," I said. "For fuck's sake, I didn't even know your last name until I saw Edward at the hospital today."

"As for your rings," I said reaching up to the chain around my neck, and unclasping it. "They're right here. I figure that once I figured out who you were and found you, that I would return them to you if that was what you wanted."

I took the rings, chain and all and placed them down on the table.

"As for money," I said. "I don't need any. I have my job and a place to live. I don't need anything else. Now excuse me, I have been threatened, intimidated, embarrassed and humiliated enough for one day. Emmett, draw up whatever papers you need for annulment, divorce or whatever. I don't want a fucking penny from any of you. But if you really want to give me something, you can all get the hell out right now so I can try to regain some composure and scrape together enough dignity to finish the next fourteen hours of my shift."

Every person in the room just stared at me, completely dumbfounded, especially Emmett, who even had tears in his eyes.

"Maybe we should let Emmett and Bella have some time," Edward said, quietly.

The others moved relatively silently out of the room while I moved away from my position and moved to the window, struggling to contain the sobs that wanted to break from my chest.

When the door had closed, I really had no clue if I was alone or if Emmett was in the room with me. He made no sound at all if he was there and I didn't have the strength to turn around and check.

"Bella," he said softly.

I don't know what it was, if it was the gentle tone he used, or if I had just finally reached my breaking point but the sobs erupted from my chest in great heaving movements. I clutched my arms around me, holding myself together as best as I could.

Emmett moved behind me and pulled me into his arms so that I was cradled against his massive chest. I didn't have the strength to fight him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have stopped them. I should have made sure we talked first. I was just so shocked to see you here."

I pulled away from him then. I didn't want his apologies.

"I don't have time for this," I said.

"Please," he said. "Just talk to me for a few minutes."

I turned and looked at him, his bright blue eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"What?" I said, resigning myself to the fact that I wasn't getting out of here just yet.

"Why did you leave?" he asked.

_Of all the questions he could ask._

"Emmett," I said. "If that is your real first name..."

"It is," he said.

"Fine," I said. "I woke up in the morning and found myself next to you in bed. You have to know, I don't do that. I have officially been with four men in my whole life; one in high school, which was horrible, and two in college, which were not much better, and you. I woke up and kinda freaked a little, and then I looked at the clock. It was 11:17 and I was supposed to have met Jake in the lobby at 11:00. I grabbed my dress and your shirt, so I wasn't flashing everyone, and I ran out to meet Jake. Emmett, I didn't even know we got married until I got on the plane and Jake pointed out the rings," I said.

"You didn't?" he asked.

"No, I had a killer headache and all I thought about other than the ummm, great sex, was the fact that I was going to miss my plane back to Seattle," I said.

"So you don't remember at all?" he asked, almost sounding hurt.

"I did after, but I was going on so little sleep and apparently I don't handle alcohol any better than Edward," I said.

Emmett snorted at that comment.

"As soon as I got to Seattle and could use my phone, I tried to find out who I married... The jewellery store was no help and I had pretty much resigned myself to waiting three to six weeks to get a copy of the marriage license," I said.

"You were looking for me?" he asked again.

"Look, Emmett, this was far from a traditional anything, but I felt something with you... even drunk I wouldn't have married you without," I said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"God, I'm such an ass!" he said.

"Right now, I need to get back to work," I said. "You've heard what I had to say, and I was perfectly honest with whoever the hell was yapping at me. No matter what I don't want anything from you. I don't need your money, nor do I want it."

"My dad," he said. "He was freaking because I couldn't even tell him much about you... including your last name."

He let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, well, my life became a country song, so..." I said.

"I don't listen to country so I'm afraid I have no clue what you're talking about," he said.

"It's a song called 'Last Name' by Carrie Underwood," I said. "I'd never heard it before either. Unfortunately for me Jake had and he decided to serenade me with it on the plane ride home... and if you need to know anything about him... Jake can't sing. He loves to, but he really shouldn't."

"Okay," he said, smiling for the first time since Vegas. _Hello Dimples!_

"When are you off?" Emmett asked.

"Not until tomorrow morning," I said.

"Can I come and pick you up?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I don't know how coherent I'll be, but I'd like a chance to talk to you some more... as long as your family won't be there."

"No family," he said.

"Okay," I said.

He walked over to the table where I had put my rings earlier and held them up.

"Will you wear them still?" he asked. "Please."

"Okay," I said, uncertainly. I clasped the rings back around my neck and watched as he smiled in satisfaction. _Satisfaction?_

We walked out of the lounge to see the rest of his family standing there. His mother and sister, I guess, smiled at me warmly, as did the younger blonde man. His father and Rosalie both scowled at me.

"Well," I said, completely uncomfortable with the situation. "I need to get back to work, so bye... and I'll see you tomorrow, Emmett."

I made a motion to half wave at them and walked quickly towards the outpatient clinic. Once there, I made my way quickly inside. Unfortunately, I was confronted with Dr. Watson.

"Having some issues this afternoon, Swan?" he sneered.

_What a jerk!_

"Nothing that I couldn't handle," I said with a smile.

"Not what I heard," he said.

"Well," I said. "I'm here so I can take over."

"How about you and I catch some dinner later, and maybe a little free time in the on-call room?" he asked.

"Dr. Watson, that is highly inappropriate," I said. "and I am not interested."

It wasn't that Dr. Watson was hard on the eyes. In fact Kevin was quite something to look at. Unfortunately for him, and everyone else, he knew it. His hot body and legendary prowess, earned him quite the reputation, unfortunately, with his mouth and ego, most of it came from him.

"Look, Swan," he said omitting the Dr., "You and I both know you want me. So save us both the trouble and just give in now."

"I believe she said she wasn't interested," Edward said walking into the clinic.

"And who are you?" Dr. Watson asked.

"The new guy," Edward said.

"So what you think you can tap that?" Dr. Watson asked motioning towards me. "The girl is frigid."

"Not aiming to tap anything. I am getting married in a week, and since she's my brother's wife, I happen to know for a fact that she is not frigid," Edward said.

"Married?" Dr. Watson asked. "Sneaky, sneaky, Swan... or should I call you Cullen?"

"Whatever," I said moving towards the patient treatment area. I was pissed at Watson, but Edward Cullen wasn't far behind. _What right did he have to spill my personal details?_

I quickly saw three patients, ignoring both of the other doctors who seemed content to stand in the hall and gab. The fourth was more complex and I was writing orders on her chart when I walked out of the room.

"If I overstepped my bounds, I'm sorry," Edward said.

"Look, Dr. Cullen," I said to him. "I have absolutely no clue where this thing with your brother and I is going. If your father and fiancée have anything to say about it, it won't be far."

"My dad is just blowing off steam," he said. "Once you get to know him, he really is very nice."

"Somehow, I doubt I'll get that far, plus your fiancée seems to hate me. The reason for which I have no clue."

"Rosalie can be... difficult," he said. "None of us listen to her anymore."

"Yet you're marrying her?" I asked. "Sorry, that was overstepping my bounds..."

He smiled at me and shook his head. "Look, Emmett is a great guy. He is fun and funny, but he has always been guarded. In our position you have to be," he said.

"Your father was alluding to something and now you are doing the same thing. What the heck?" I said, trying to mind my tongue as we had patients nearby.

"You seriously have no clue?" he asked.

"CODE BLUE ROOM 714, CODE BLUE ROOM 714," the intercom screamed crackling to life.

"Shit, that's Jessica Stanley," I said, dashing out, with Edward right on my heels.

We spent the next twenty minutes reviving and stabilizing Jessica, finally needing to pump her stomach to get it under control. There had been a large quantity of pills in her stomach, but nothing hospital grade. They were over the counter sleeping pills and pain relievers. After a quick search of the room, the bottles were found in the trash.

We left a nurse with the now unconscious girl, while Edward, Jake and I talked with a few of our superiors, Dr. Felix Strong and Dr. Demetri Findlay.

"Colonel and Mrs. Stanley will be in soon. What do we have to tell them?" Dr. Felix asked.

"Jessica had a large quantity of pills in her stomach," I said, filling him in. "Sleep aides and pain killers, both available over the counter, and neither one available here."

"Good," he said.

"How is that good?" Edward asked. "A patient tried to commit suicide and you're saying it's good?"

"It's not like that," Dr. Strong said, backpedalling. "We need to know where our liability is."

Edward seemed as frustrated with that response as I was. Our liability was only a small portion of the issue. The larger one was how the woman got to that point. As far as we knew, she hadn't regained much of her memory from before the accident. After the superiors left, certain of the hospital's position on this matter, Edward and I spoke for a few more minutes. I was beyond pissed at the way the senior doctors had handled it.

"What the hell?" I asked, once I managed to calm myself down some. "A suicide attempt?"

"Is it possible that she has been playing us?" Edward said.

"You mean that she remembers more than she is letting on?" I asked. "I don't know. Jake?"

He had been strangely quiet to this point.

"You know," he said. "I think that's possible. We'll have to ask her parents when they arrive."

"It's odd that they aren't here yet," I said. "When were they contacted?"

"Over an hour ago," Jake said.

We discussed the odd turn of events a little more before one of the other nurses interrupted and told us that Colonel and Mrs. Stanley were here, and waiting in the conference room. I paged Dr. Strong and the chaplain to meet us there.

It was an exhausting meeting with Mrs. Stanley admitting that she left the pills with Jessica because she had complained of a headache and not being able to sleep. Both her and Colonel Stanley were devastated by the event. We all agreed to have another full psych evaluation done as soon as she regained consciousness.

I was more than exhausted when I got out of there. Jake was heading home, lucky bastard, as his twelve-hour shift was done.

"You heading out too?" I asked Edward.

"No," he said. "I think I'll stay and finish your shift with you."

"I don't finish until the morning. I just plan on doing rounds and retiring to the on-call room for a few hours of shut-eye," I said.

"Then that's what we do," Edward said, leaving no room for argument.

I wasn't certain that I wanted company tonight. I had a lot to wrap my mind around, and I was certain that tears were going to be shed, but who was I to say what he could and couldn't do. At least I wouldn't have to worry about Dr. Watson if Edward stayed.

We did rounds with a night shift nurse, ending with Jessica Stanley. It was unlikely that she would regain consciousness before the morning and since her father and mother were keeping vigil, we told them to buzz if there was any change. Her father confessed that they had been up north looking at some rehab facilities for her and felt terrible that they weren't here when she needed them. Her mother was still upset that she had supplied the medicine that she used in her suicide attempt.

"So crash time?" Edward asked after we left that room.

"You know it," I said.

I led the way to the on-call room. I stopped by the lounge, which was just next door, grabbed my bag which contained a clean set of scrubs and headed for the bathroom. A shower was a necessity.

"Do you want a set of scrubs?" I asked Edward.

"Yeah, that'd be great," he said.

"You can have the shower when I'm done," I said.

"Thanks," he said.

Once I was out of the shower, he went in while I sat in the on-call room and blow dried my hair. I was brushing it out when Edward returned to the room with his copper hair still damp from the shower, wearing hospital scrubs instead of his dress pants and button up shirt.

"Thanks," he said. "I feel more at home in the scrubs."

"I always do, too," I said.

He smiled at me.

"So Stanford?" he asked.

"So Dartmouth," I answered, letting him know that I knew about him too.

"Dr. Volturi?" he asked.

"Yup," I answered.

"How old is he anyways?" he asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I think some people around here have a pool going," I said. "Shaking his hand is like touching an antique. You never know if it's just going to snap off in your hand."

"I like you," Edward said, smiling at me. "You're alright for a Cardinal."

"Thanks," I said.

"Hah!" he said. "You don't know our mascot or team name," he teased.

"Keggy?" I scoffed. "Or did you want me to go with Big Green?"

"Stupid mascot and name," he said.*****

I laughed, but it sounded hollow to my own ears. I seriously wanted to just give in and just cry, but didn't want to do that with Edward here.

"So what were you about to say before we were interrupted?" he asked. "About meeting me before."

"That's how I met Emmett," I said smiling at him. "I was at a club on the dance floor while Jake was flirting with the bartender, and some guy came up and grabbed me from behind."

He looked horrified. I decided to increase his mortification.

"You pulled my body against every INCH of yours and I was trying to decide between an elbow to the gut or a stiletto to the foot followed by a knee to the groin when Emmett came up and told you to let me go," I said.

Poor Edward was blushing and shaking his head, most certainly from embarrassment.

"You refused until Emmett threatened to take a picture and send it to Rose," I said with a giggle. "Then you tried to get away so fast that my face very nearly had a date with the floor. Thankfully, Emmett caught me on time."

"I am never drinking again," he groaned.

"Join the club," I said. "At least you didn't get married to someone whose last name you didn't know."

"You really didn't know?" he asked.

"What is it that I'm supposed to know?" I asked, completely confused.

"Our last name," Edward said.

"Cullen, so?" I asked.

"Where have you been girl?" he asked.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" I asked him., still thoroughly confused by everyone's innuendo.

He stared at me for a few moments. "You don't read tabloids or People magazine, don't watch entertainment news or read any online gossip sites?" 

"No, no and no," I replied.

"Damn girl!" he said. "My family is the Cullen family. Cullen hotels..." he said. "185 hotels world wide..."

"Like the fancy ones?" I asked.

He grinned at me and nodded as I sat there completely dumbfounded. "Not to mention a few major swanky resorts in Vegas."

I just stared at him as I began to realize that this was something way out of my league.

"You seriously had no clue!" he said, a statement rather than a question.

I just shook my head, still trying to grasp what he was saying.

"My family is tabloid fodder to the extreme. We can't do anything without people showing up with cameras and reporters in our faces. We were shocked that we made it through Vegas without a million pictures online."

"So you guys are a big deal?" I said.

"To some people," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"That's why your dad…. With the money…. Oh!" I exclaimed remembering the exchange from earlier. "This is not good!"

"Bella, it's not a big deal," Edward said. "We're just regular people."

"Who are featured in the tabloids all the time," I said. "Rosalie too?"

"Yeah," he said. "Her parents are kinda big too… well not so much for the right reasons anymore."

"And your sister's partner?" I asked. "He's like super rich and famous too?"

"Jasper… yeah…" Edward said shrugging.

"So, I am like white trash then…" I said.

"You are certainly not white trash," Edward said with a chuckle.

"I grew up in a town named for a piece of cutlery! My dad's house is probably worth less than this!" I said, pulling my wedding set out from under my shirt. "I'm the epitome of white trash!

"Bella," Edward said trying to calm me as I started to panic. "It's not important."

"Not important?" I asked. "Your family thinks I'm some sort of gold digger! How is that not important?!"

"Are you?" he asked, grinning.

"What? No!" I exclaimed. "Oh my God! Everyone is going to think that! We need to get this like over with! You guys have lawyers for this right? I don't want anything… well maybe if I can return the ring I bought for Emmett than I can double pay my student loans again… And he can probably return my rings. I don't want any money and I'll never tell anyone about this I swear!"

"Bella calm down," Edward said, beginning to look concerned.

"Calm down?" I asked, probably verging on hysterics. "How can I calm down?"

"We're just regular people," he said.

"Regular famous people! With a lot of money!" I said, looking at him like he had three heads. "Emmett can get an annulment right? I mean we had sex but some of that was before we got married…"

"Bella, stop!" Edward said putting his hands on my shoulders. I looked up at him, still feeling the panic through my whole body.

"That stuff isn't important. Not one of us think it matters!" he said. "Well maybe Rose does, but other than that, we don't care. We spend our whole lives actively trying to avoid that stuff."

"But money. Edward, I grew up with nothing! This is…. This is way out of my league," I said, shaking my head.

"It's not important," he said.

"But you guys are…. Somebodies! I'm just… I'm just me!" I stuttered.

"Look, before you knew about any of this, we were equals," Edward said. "Becoming friends right?"

I nodded.

"I am still the same person that you shared your pasta with," he said. "I'm not special because of who my family is or anything else. I'm just me."

I stared at him dumbfounded as I tried to let his words sink in.

"Okay, let's look at it this way. You are a doctor. In the hospital, that's pretty much top of the food chain," he said.

I shrugged my shoulders. I'd never really thought of it that way, but I knew some people did.

"So you are up here," he said holding his hands to eyebrow level. "And then nurses, lab techs, security guards, janitors, cafeteria staff, volunteers….." Each consecutive job title he moved his hand lower.

"But I watched you today," he said. "And not one of the people that we interacted with today did you treat as any less than an equal."

"They aren't less," I said. "Everyone has a job to do. They're all important."

"So the cafeteria lady that probably makes $12 an hour is in the same league as you?" he asked.

"Betty?" I said. "She's great. She's been at the hospital forever. She has a husband and three grown children. Her first grandchild is due in the fall."

Now he stared at me dumbfounded. "You not only know her name but her life story? You're pretty remarkable Bella Swan… I guess I should say Cullen."

"GAHHHH!" I said. "I don't think that is going to fly! I don't even know what Emmett feels about all of this!"

"You'll talk tomorrow," he said, smiling at me. "Calmed down now?"

"I guess… for now," I said.

"Good! We're just normal people," he said.

"Jake should have known!" I said. "He freakin' lives for gossip magazines!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Edward laughed.

"What the hell have I done?" I asked myself.

"Well since you live on another planet, you're completely forgiven," Edward said.

"How did I not know? How did Jake not know?" I asked myself again.

"I have to say I'm glad you don't read that shit," Edward said, sitting back on his chosen bunk.

"I take it they like to embellish the truth?" I asked.

"Definitely," he said. "I stayed out all night studying for an exam at the library, and came home to shower and get ready for the day. Later Rose called me to ask who I was out with. It took me two weeks to convince her that I had been studying at the library, and that was just because she came out and asked the damn librarian on duty that night."

"That sucks," I said. "She didn't know that they embellish things?"

"She was well aware of it. She's just very insecure," he said.

"That's got to be hard. I'm sure she won't be pleased that you are here with me tonight," I said.

"Honestly," he said pinching the bridge of his nose, "I could care less."

I decided a change of topic was in order.

"So the paparazzi are bad, huh?" I asked.

"Well, since Emmett's the oldest, he gets most of the attention," Edward said. " Alice gets a fair amount too, but I'm boring. Just a no-fun overworked doctor, plus Rosalie and I have been together since... well since forever. It's worse now that I've moved back to Seattle, and with the wedding coming up."

"So this isn't going to be a quick easy oops, annulment then is it?" I said.

"I don't think that's what Emmett wants anyways," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Honestly?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"I have never seen my brother as crushed as he was on Sunday morning," he said looking at me.

"No," I whispered.

"I don't know all the details, and I probably don't want to," he said. "Bella, this wasn't a whim for him. He is a great guy but most people don't get to see the real him."

"What do you mean, Edward?" I asked.

"He isn't spontaneous or fun outside of the family. He has had some nasty experiences with the press and people who have used him for his name. He is guarded... But, Bella, when he told us... he was truly heartbroken," he said.

I dropped my head to my hands and took a deep breath.

"God, Edward," I said. "He was so great... I enjoyed being with him so much. Not just the sex either..."

"Woah!" he said. "Too much information."

"Sorry," I giggled.

"I need brain bleach," he muttered, looking thoroughly disgusted.

"Anyways, when I finally remembered marrying him, I didn't regret it, at least not until I met Rosalie and your father," I said.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" he asked.

"I'll admit I freaked a little when I saw you at the hospital and I didn't quite know how to say, 'Hey Ed, I'm sorta married to your brother. Do you think you can hook my up with his phone number? I was trying to get there, I really was..."

"When we were talking," he said nodding his head.

"Yeah," I said.

"Bella, you and I are more alike than you know. I get it, I really do," he said.

The tears started rolling down my cheeks and there was not a lot I could do to stop them. Before I knew it I was sobbing great heaving sobs, and I buried my head in my knees.

"Shhhh," he soothed. "You're okay. It's going to be okay!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" I asked. "And what do you mean he doesn't want an annulment?"

"Look, I can't speak for him for certain, but if he had wanted an annulment, the papers would have been drafted already, just waiting for the name," he said. "Plus, his wedding ring is on a chain around his neck too. That wouldn't be the case if he wanted you gone."

He moved from his bunk to come sit next to me.

"Just don't give up on him, okay," he said. "I love my brother. He's a great guy and if he thinks you were worth it then I know you are. Even before I got to know you, I knew that you had to be special. Spending the day with you has just confirmed it. I'm glad I had that chance."

"Thanks, Edward," I said, sniffling. "I'm glad that you aren't some spoiled valedictorian who thinks the world owes him something."

"I hear you were valedictorian too," he said, "and you don't seem like a pompous arrogant jackass either."

"Nope," I said, yawning. "I'm just a small town police chief's daughter with a flamboyantly gay best friend, who happened to do one exciting thing in her entire whole life, thanks to said flamboyantly gay best friend."

"You should sleep," he said moving off my bed.

"Yeah," I said, lying down. "Tell me how you met your fiancee."

"Friends of the family. We actually started dating in high school," he said.

"Did she go to Dartmouth with you?" I asked.

"No," he said, "She went to school in Europe."

"Long distance relationship," I said. "That must have been hard."

"Yup," he agreed. "It wasn't so bad for me. I studied all the time. It was harder on her, and now all the wedding stuff. She isn't usually quite so..."

"Tenacious?" I asked.

"Good word," he said. "She's a very good person once you get to know her... but according to Alice she's been quite the bridezilla."

"According to Alice?" I asked.

"I haven't actually seen much of her in six months," he said. "She's been busy with wedding stuff and I've been busy with residency stuff."

"Wow," I said. "I can't imagine being away from the person I loved for that long."

"Yeah," he said. "You should sleep Bella. It's been a hectic day for you. Sorry I sprung the family on you like that."

"I hear Jake had something to do with that," I said sleepily.

"He asked about my family and suggested they may like to see the hospital," he said.

"He has a great heart," I said, "but sometimes he forgets to use his brain. He obviously didn't think it was going to turn into a three ring circus."

"Sorry about Rosie," he said. "She was bound and determined that we be the first to get married. Jasper and Alice got engaged the same weekend we did, quite by coincidence but Rose had our wedding booked first and refused to let Alice and Jasper get married before her. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Jasper is her twin brother..."

"Wow," I said. "You guys like to keep it in the family."

"I guess we do," he laughed. "Lucky for you they aren't triplets."

"Yeah, lucky for me," I said as I finally drifted off to sleep.

We actually got five hours, which is awesome before we were called to Jessica's room. She was awake and extremely agitated. We had to sedate her again, but we had a chance to talk to her parents some more.

"Why would she do that?" her mother sobbed.

"Possibly survivor's guilt. Maybe she has remembered more from the accident," I said.

"Survivor's guilt?" Edward asked.

"Sorry," I said to him and to the Stanleys. "Dr. Cullen was at another hospital when the accident happened. Jessica, her younger sister and two friends were in a car together traveling back from a concert. The three other girls were killed on impact when a semi-truck veered into their lane on the I-5, including her younger sister, Irina."

"Oh," Edward said. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," Mrs. Stanley said.

"I think it's more important than ever that we seek some psychological counselling for her. I think her mind is starting to remember the events, at least subconsciously," I said. "Dr. Clark will be here in the morning and I'm sure he will be able to give further insights."

"Thank you, Dr. Swan," Colonel Stanley said. "The thought of losing her..."

"We'll do everything in our power to try to prevent that," I said.

"The fact that she is still here is in large part due to you, and we will never forget that," he said.

"Try to get some rest, Sir," I said, ignoring his earlier comment.

Edward and I walked out of the room and I headed for the lounge.

"What'd you do?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"For the Stanleys," he clarified. "I can see it in the way they look at you. You must have done something."

"I was on the front line when she came in," I said. "It was a fourteen car pile-up and there were injured people everywhere. She didn't even have a room because she had a stable airway. The trauma team worked on the other three girls while I set out trying to assess and treat Jessica. She coded just as the Stanleys arrived at the hospital. Jake was bagging her and I was on top of her doing chest compressions as they moved her gurney through to a trauma bay. I guess that made quite the impression."

"Why didn't you stay in the ER?" he asked. "That's where most doctors love to be."

"You'll laugh if I tell you," I said, blushing.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't like blood," I said quietly.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't like blood," I said a little louder. "I can do broken bones, head trauma, you name it... but blood makes me nauseous."

"You're kidding right?" he asked with a laugh.

"I told you that you'd laugh," I said.

"I'm trying not to, but a doctor that doesn't like blood is like a dentist who doesn't like teeth," he laughed. "or a vampire who won't hunt humans..."

"Just keep laughing and I won't share my pasta with you next time," I said. "You'll be stuck eating the hospital crap."

He stopped laughing immediately.

"I deal with it, but avoid it when I can," I said.

"Are you going to stay at the hospital long term?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Probably just until I pay off my student loans."

"Why?" he asked. "Isn't private practice more lucrative?"

"If that was my plan, probably," I said.

"So what is your plan?" he asked.

"I want to provide care to those who can't easily access it," I said. "There is help available for those on assistance, and even for the homeless, but there are so many families out there who work so they don't qualify for state assistance and yet they need to feed themselves and their families and can't afford medical insurance."

"You sound passionate about that," he said.

"I am," I said. "There's a single mom in my building, with two kids. She lives with her aging mother who helps her with childcare. Her baby was born with congenital heart defects, and all her money goes to pay for her daughter's health insurance and she had to let hers, her mother's and her three year old son's lapse because she couldn't afford it. She works insane hours to keep up with her daughter's insurance, rent and food."

"Wow," he whispered.

"So I've been doing check-ups on her son, making sure he is doing good. I've helped with some other emergencies from time to time. She repays me by making me homemade pastries and stuff," I said.

"You are an incredible person, Bella Swan," he said.

"As I said, I grew up in a small town named after a piece of cutlery," I said. "I don't have huge dreams, I don't want an expensive car or a big house with seventeen bedrooms, all I've ever wanted is a comfortable existence and to help people who are trying to help themselves."

"A piece of cutlery?" he asked.

"Forks, it's on the Olympic Peninsula," I said.

"And your parents?" he asked, almost laughing.

"My dad is the chief of police..." I said.

"The chief of police, of Forks?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Is it close to Spoons?" he asked, laughing at his lame joke.

"Like I haven't heard that before, Cullen," I said.

"Sorry," he said. "It's really called Forks?"

"Yes, get over it already," I said.

"Okay," he said. "What about your mom?"

"My parents were very young when I was born. She was seventeen and he was eighteen. They got married and bought a little house and my dad joined the police force. My mom finished off high school while a neighbor looked after me. Once she graduated, they decided that she would stay home with me while he worked. She never said that she was unhappy or anything. One morning she dropped me off with the neighbor 'for a few hours' and neither of us have seen or heard from her since," I said. "Not that I've tried."

"Did she leave a note?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "My father doesn't talk about it. He received divorce papers that he signed and sent to a post office box in California, when I was little, but that was it."

"So it was just you and your dad?" he asked.

"Mostly. There was also Jake and his dad Billy. His mother Sarah was killed in a car accident when he was a baby, so they were two bachelor dads with babies. We sorta grew up as brother and sister, though I know Charlie and Billy wanted us to be _together_," I said.

"I guess that didn't work out," Edward said with a laugh.

"Nah, it was pretty evident when we were young. Jake liked my Barbies more than I did but Billy and Charlie were sure it was because it bothered me that he had to dress and undress them all the time. He even liked to help me pick out my clothes when I was young," I giggled.

"When did he come out?" Edward asked.

"You've seen Jake, he's never been in," I said. "No closet would fit all that!"

It was his turn to laugh now.

"Seriously though, he was thirteen when he told his dad that the 'beefy football guys' were better to look at than the 'skinny, skanky cheerleaders'," I said.

"How did his dad take it?" Edward asked.

"Actually really well," I said. "He just told him to make sure that he chose the right guy because he didn't want him beat to a pulp for hitting on a straight guy."

"Wow," Edward said, impressed.

"I know," I said. "My dad was cool with it too, and suddenly we were allowed in my room with the door closed."

"How did the town take it?" he asked. "I know small towns can be harsh."

"He was seventeen when he had his first boyfriend," I said. "Nobody even blinked. I think they had all assumed by that point."

We sat in the lounge chatting until Dr. Clark arrived. We filled him in on the shift, especially Jessica's condition. He thought we were probably right in our assumption. After he headed for the floor, I stretched and poured us both a cup of coffee.

"I'm glad we got five hours of sleep," I said. "Maybe I'll be able to stay awake so Emmett and I can talk."

"Yeah, Rose is picking me up and we have some wedding crap to do," he said. "She wasn't impressed that I stayed. When do we work again?"

"Ah, that's right you are my shadow," I said, with a smile. "Wednesday morning for twenty four hours."

"Are long shifts the norm?" he asked, scowling slightly.

"Can be. Until you've got some tenure here you are at their whim. I don't usually mind the two long shifts for a week," I said. "With the way it works though, I don't work again until Tuesday," I said.

"Good," he said. "So you can come to the wedding."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Your fiancée hates me, your father isn't too much farther behind and I have no clue where I stand with your brother," I said.

"At least consider," he asked. "Please."

"Fine," I said. "I'll consider."

"Good," he said grinning.

We drank our coffee and he went to change back into his street clothes. I grabbed my yoga pants and oversized Stanford sweater and tossed the dirty scrubs in the laundry, grabbing a fresh set to wear to work the next day.

"You take scrubs home?" Edward asked.

"I hate to get here and have to change so I wear them in and just pack fresh clothes to head home," I said.

"Good plan," he said. "Do you mind if I copy you?"

"Go for it," I said.

He grabbed a fresh set of scrubs and we walked to the door together.

"I wish I remembered you from Vegas," he said with a scowl. "I wish I remember anything from Vegas except for the hangover."

"I found the best hangover cure after Vegas," I said.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Finding an engagement and wedding ring on your finger," I said.

We were both laughing as we made our way out of the lounge towards the elevators.

"One Cullen brother isn't enough?" Rosalie sneered as we rounded the corner. The blonde ice queen was standing in front of the elevators alone, wearing a short red dress that showed more than it covered.

"I beg your pardon?" I said to her.

"You heard me. He's mine and you need to..." she started to sneer.

"I feel really sorry for you if you are so insecure that he can't even talk to someone else without you pulling an absolute bitch fit," I said.

"I beg your pardon?" she said.

"You heard me," I said glaring at her and using her words right back at her. "Although I would be insecure if I were you. You may be pretty on the outside but you have got to be the ugliest person I have ever met."

"Edward," Rosalie demanded. "Are you going to let her talk to me that way?"

"Rose, you're a big girl. If you want to dish the crap then prepare to eat shit," Edward said. I still didn't know him well but he sounded extremely pissed.

"You," she said pointing at me. "You are nothing better than common white trash and soon enough your ass will be on the curb."

"If my other option was to be a rich bitch ice queen like you, I'll take being white trash any day of the week," I said.

The elevator opened then and Jake and two other nurses stepped out. Rosalie spun to see who was there. She noticeably eyed the two young nurses, raking her eyes over their forms and dismissing them with a flick of her hair. Then, she finally locked her eyes on Jake.

"Oh look, it's your fruity little protector," Rosalie sneered, grabbing Edward's arm. "Let's go, Eddie, before any of this filth rubs off on us. You can find another hospital to work for, one that has more discerning taste in employees."

"No," he said, pulling his arm from Rose's grasp. "I have dealt with your attitude enough. You don't need to spew it on everyone else. You need to apologize and you need to do so right now. Bella has been nothing but nice to me in spite of you and your actions. Jake is one of the kindest people I have met and he's a damned good nurse. Apologize to both of them now!"

"Bella?" she asked. "Nice to know that you're all comfy and cozy with your brother's wife... for however long that lasts."

"Apologize now," Edward said. "I'm done, Rosalie. You can't treat people like this."

The other nurses made their way to the floor with a parting scowl at Rosalie. They did not like anyone demeaning Jake. The guy really did have a heart of gold and was friends with everyone.

"No, I don't think I will," she said smuggly. "Let's go."

She turned to face the elevator and waited for Edward to join her. When the elevator opened, Emmett stepped out, taking in the situation in front of him. Edward and I both had our arms crossed, Jake had his hands on his hips like the drama queen he was and we were all scowling. Rosalie was ignoring the whole scene.

Rosalie stepped into the elevator that Emmett vacated without a word to him. "Edward, let's go, now!" she commanded.

"No," Edward said. "You cannot walk into my workplace and make a scene. You will apologize or you can spend the next four days calling people and telling them that the wedding is off."

"What?" she howled in outrage, slamming her hand against the elevator door to prevent it from closing.

"You heard me," Edward said. "You have always been moody and temperamental and I dealt with that, but you cannot be downright rude to people that I would like to consider friends and think that I will follow your lead. It's wrong, Rose, and I won't have any part of it."

She continued to hold the elevator door open and looked between the four of us.

"You can't be serious?" she asked Edward.

"Dead," he said.

"Emmett, how do you feel about your _wife_ getting all chummy with Eddie?" she asked, smirking at Edward and I, obviously thinking she would have an ally in this.

"I'm glad he's getting to know her. She's an amazing woman," he said. "I trust them both."

"Then you are a fool, too," Rosalie said, stomping her foot before focusing on Edward. "I am going home and I expect you to be grovelling at my door in an hour."

"Don't count on it, Rose," Edward said.

She screamed in outrage and let the elevator door shut.

"You weren't serious were you?" I asked Edward.

"As a heart attack," Edward said. "She has always been rude and demanding and I overlooked it. She cannot expect to come in here and treat the people I work with like shit... especially if I like those people."

"You're really calling it off, Bro?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah," Edward said, nodding his head. "I am."

Everyone was silent for a few moments before Jake cleared his throat.

"Well, you deserve better than that anyway," Jake said. "She may have great hair and fashion sense, but she is all bitch!"

"That she is," Edward said.

"You okay?" Emmett asked him.

"I'm great," he said. "However, I do need a ride home."

"I think I can handle that, Man," Emmett said. "I hope you are truly serious about calling it off. The thought of dealing with that she devil for the rest of our lives was giving me an ulcer, and I wasn't the one who was going to have to sleep with her."

I stood stone still, contemplating what had just happened.

"Quite the exciting place to work," Emmett said looking at me.

"It wasn't before the Cullens arrived," I said.

"Cullen..." Jake said. "Oh my God!"

_Oh great! Now he figures it out!_

"You are so, Emmett Cullen. Oh my God! Why didn't I know that before? Oh, Baby Girl, you got your hands full!" he said.

"Thanks Jake," I said. "Edward kinda filled me in."

"Ummm, girlie," he said.

"Go to work, Jakey," I said. "Jess had a bad night and could probably use some Jake magic."

"On my way," he said.

"Do you mind if we drop Eddie off before we have a chance to talk?" Emmett asked.

"It's fine by me," I said. "But can we take the stairs? I really don't want to have another run in with Rosalie. I like my plain boring life at the hospital and the less people that are exposed to that level of crazy the better."

"Okay," both Cullen brothers said, laughing.

We walked down the stairs as I ascertained from Emmett exactly where he parked. Once we reached the parking garage, Emmett led the charge to his car.

"You have the Jeep?" Edward asked as we approached a behemoth vehicle.

"Yeah," Emmett said.

"How is a person supposed to get into that thing?" I asked staring up at the hulking vehicle.

Emmett laughed loudly and unlocked the door. Edward opened the handle, which was easily at eye level for him and hauled himself up.

"Just like that," he said with a smug smile and climbed into the back.

"That's great if you're over six feet. I'd like to see you do that at five foot four," I said.

"Come here," Emmett said, pulling me in towards him.

The electricity that coursed through my body at his touch caused me to gasp. His breath hitched, so I knew he felt it to. I looked up into his bright blue eyes and paused, getting lost in the depth of them. I don't know how long we stood there, frozen, but we might still be there if we weren't interrupted by Edward.

"So are you going to help her into the damn car or what?" Edward asked, causing me to blush.

Emmett grinned at the reaction I gave and lowered his head down to kiss me. It was just a tiny peck on the lips, but it ignited everything in me.

"No sucking face in the parking lot," Edward called out from the car. "That's just wrong."

Emmett and I both laughed and he lifted me up into the Jeep as though I weighed nothing. Once I was in he closed the door and moved around to the other side.

"Don't hurt him," Edward said quietly from behind me.

"I won't," I said, as I touched my fingers to my lips. I just hoped he didn't hurt me.


	4. Time to 'Talk'

Emmett bounded happily into the Jeep and I couldn't help but to check him out. He was wearing some dark wash jeans with a white button up shirt. So hot!

"So, Emmett," Edward piped up from the back. "Where are you two going to have this tete-a-tete?"

"Honestly, Ed," he said. "I haven't even got that far."

"We can go to my place," I said. "It's private and gives me a chance to grab a bite."

"Sure," Emmett said, "if you're comfortable with that."

"I am," I said.

"You live close, right Bella?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," I said. Edward seemed almost giddy with that response, causing both Emmett and I to turn and look at him.

"What are you getting at, Ed?" Emmett almost growled.

"I'm just saying that the twenty minute drive to Mom and Dad's and then the return trip will take a lot of time. If you two want to go there and I will take the Jeep..." Edward started.

"He just wants to drive the Jeep doesn't he?" I asked, biting my lip to stop the laughter that threatened to bubble forth from my chest.

"Precisely. Maybe he's ready to get rid of his sissy car," Emmett said grinning wickedly.

"A Volvo is not a sissy car. It has great crash test ratings!" Edward huffed from the back.

"I rest my case," Emmett said smirking. Edward huffed; crossing his arms, obviously not liking the ribbing Emmett was giving him.

"So which way, Beautiful?" Emmett asked me, as we turned to face forward.

"Just down there," I said. "There's only one apartment building on the street. You can't miss it."

"You're letting me drive?" Edward asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah," Emmett said. "Don't make me sorry."

"He must really like you," Edward fake whispered at me, which caused me to giggle.

"Actually, Eddie, I figured that since you were smart enough to finally kick Rosalie's ass to the curb, you deserved to drive a big boy car," he said with a laugh.

"Emmiebear, Are you sure you want to antagonize the man who is responsible for getting the Jeep safely all the way to Mom and Dad's?" Edward asked.

"I'm not too worried, Edweirdo," Emmett said winking at me. "I know where you park your Vanquish."

"You wouldn't," Edward gasped.

"Only if you damaged the Jeep," Emmett said.

"Why can I imagine your mother listening to this same argument twenty years ago, only with toy cars?" I asked, causing both of the Cullen brothers to laugh.

"You gonna tell Mom about calling off the wedding?" Emmett asked after he calmed down.

"I figure I have ten minutes max before either Mom or Alice call," Edward answered. "They're probably going to be pissed."

"Doubt it," Emmett huffed. "They'll probably throw you a party!"

"Jasper's going to kick my ass though," Edward said, concerned.

"You may be surprised," Emmett said.

He pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of the building and turned to me.

"You better stay put until I help you down," he said to me seriously.

"If you say so," I said. _Any excuse to feel his arms around me was fine by me._

"Take care of the Jeep, Edward," he said turning to Edward and handing him the keys.

"Like she was my own, Emmett," Edward said, seriously. _Boys and their cars!_

Emmett opened the door and hopped out as I unbuckled my seatbelt. As soon as he was in front of the car, Edward leaned close to me.

"Take care of him, please," Edward said.

"I'll do my best," I said.

"That's all I ask," he said ruffling my hair as Emmett pulled my door open.

"Come on down, Beautiful," he said.

I reached down to place both my hands on his shoulders. As soon as I turned to step on the rails, he lifted me into his arms, lowering me to his chest, so that I was still at least eight inches off the ground. He transferred my weight so that I was all in one arm as he moved to shut the door.

"I can walk," I said, rather breathlessly.

"What if I don't want you to?" he asked huskily.

"I could handle that," I said, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"If you do that I may never put you down," he growled.

"Mmmkay," I said, moving my hands to wrap them around his neck.

He carried me to the door, neither of us willing to separate. I managed to fumble in my bag for the keys and we made it in the door.

"Elevator's that way," I said, leaning into his neck.

He made it to the elevator and I pressed the button.

"I want to kiss you again," he said. I could feel his breath against my skin.

"I want you to kiss me," I said.

The door to the elevator opened and he practically launched us into it, attaching his lips to mine as he did.

"Floor?" he asked against my lips.

"Seven," I responded against his.

He hit a button and the doors closed, sending us up to my floor. Neither of us noticed. Once the elevator stopped, he carried me out, while I moved my lips to his neck.

"704," I said against the skin of his neck.

I handed him the proper key as he carried me down the hall, and as soon as he took them I wound my arms around his neck, pulling myself up so I could kiss behind his ear. I was rewarded with a growl coming from deep within his chest.

He hurried down the hall, only pausing briefly to fumble with the door, while I wound my fingers into the short hair at the back of his head. Once we made it into my apartment, he pressed my back against the wall.

"I want to talk to you, to tell you everything," he moaned, "but when I have you like this, I want to carry you to your bed and make love to you first."

"Last door," I said motioning down the hall. _Talking could wait; I needed him like I needed oxygen!_

He didn't need any more encouragement than that and we made our way down the hall. I kicked my shoes off as we went and dug my heels into the firm flesh of his ass. Once in the bedroom, I pulled back a bit and started tugging at the buttons on his shirt, opening them as quickly as I could with one hand still holding on.

"God, what you do to me, Woman," he growled.

He leaned over so that my bottom rested on the bed, but there was no way in hell I was unwrapping my legs from his waist.

Now that one of my hands wasn't being used to keep me upright, I had two hands to work on his buttons and I quickly pushed the fabric away from his shoulders. He helped me by flinging it the rest of the way off.

"Your turn, Beautiful," he said as he pulled my sweatshirt up.

I lifted my hands and allowed him to pull it away from my skin.

"God," he said. "You're even more beautiful than I remember."

I lay back, my chest heaving with desire and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down for a sensual kiss.

Our lips and tongues knew what to do the moment they touched and Emmett's hands roamed my over heated skin. Finally they made their way down to the waistband of my yoga pants and started to tug them down. I lifted my hips to help him release them from my bottom and reluctantly unwound them from his waist. He tugged them as far down as my knees and I kicked them off from there.

My hands moved to the waistband of his jeans and I fumbled to unbutton them as our lips moved together furiously. As I finally succeeded and pushed them over his hips, he pulled away.

"If we do this again, I'm never going to be able to let you go," he said.

"I don't want you to," I said.

"Really?" he asked, pulling away so that he could look into my eyes.

"Emmett, I was serious, I had no clue who you were until Edward told me, and I'm trying very hard not to care. I won't lie and say that I'm not nervous, not to mention your family scares the shit out of me... but I've never felt this way before, ever," I said.

"Please," he said. "Be my wife, stay my wife..."

"Yes," I said to him, pulling him back down for a searing kiss. His pants were pushed the rest of the way away and he kicked them and his shoes off. Only our underclothes separated us now.

His lips moved down to my shoulder and moved across the front of my chest. His hands moved behind me to unclasp my bra.

"Front clasp," I gasped as his lips found my nipple through my bra.

His answering growl was enough as his hands moved to the front, tugging it apart with one hand, ignoring the clasp. As soon as it was open, his hands pushed the fabric away and his lips were on the soft skin of my breast as he kissed his way up to the hardened peak.

"Emmett," I gasped as his mouth claimed my nipple.

His free hand moved to caress the other breast as I moved my feet, trying to hook my toes into the side of his Calvin Klein boxer briefs to push them down.

"Impatient," he said with a lusty chuckle.

"Umm hmm," I agreed before I gasped at the feelings his mouth on my breast were causing.

I finally succeeded in moving his Calvin's down and was rewarded with a moan.

"Fuck, I need you. I need you now," he moaned.

He grabbed the edges of my panties and tugged them down quickly, both of us wiggling to get out of the last bits of clothing.

"Mine," he growled, as he placed his head down on my abdomen. His lips and tongue began to explore the flat expanse of my stomach, his tongue dipping into my belly button. _Fuck that is sexy!_

I wrapped my fingers into his short hair as he moved lower, my hips writhing, trying to find any friction for my overheated core.

"Shh, patience," he said as he blew against my swollen folds.

"Emmett, please," I begged.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I want you," I begged. "I want to feel you in me. I need you. Please!"

He moved up my body quickly and I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling his body against mine.

"Bella," he moaned as his hardness rubbed against my very moist center.

"Emmett," I moaned, writhing against him.

"Mine," he said as he positioned himself.

"Yes," I hissed.

"My wife," he said, pushing himself into me, filling me completely.

"Yes," I said as his lips claimed mine, and he possessed me again and again, claiming me as his wife.

We had so many issues to work out, huge life altering things, but I couldn't find it in me to care at this moment. Right now we were just Emmett and Bella, two newlyweds, reclaiming each other.

I clutched my arms around his shoulders.

"You're mine," he moaned over and over again.

"Yes," was my only response.

I could feel the familiar sensation growing in my belly so I pushed up against him more, working towards what I wanted, what I needed.

"Tell me," he groaned. "Tell me."

"Yours," I said. "Always yours!"

Two things happened almost simultaneously. One, Emmett began thrusting into me harder and faster, and two, my walls clenched around him, as I screamed out his name.

"Mine," he roared as he too reached his climax. I could feel him pulsing into me as I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him down on top of me.

"I don't want to squish you," he panted.

"I like it," I said breathlessly back to him.

He put more weight on me, still holding the lion's share on his forearms. I dropped my legs from around his waist and he rolled off me, pulling me with him so we remained joined.

"I'm serious, Bella," he said, as he stroked his hands along the bare flesh of my back. "I'm never going to let you go."

"Good," I said, nestling into him. I was fighting to stay awake, with the lack of sleep over the past thirty-six hours and the complete exhaustion that is only brought by great sex, it was a battle I knew I wouldn't win.

"Sleep now," he said. "I'll be right here when you wake."

Not that I had a choice in the matter, but I listened and fell asleep with my head on his chest, listening to his racing heartbeat as it began to settle in his chest, as his hand caressed up and down my spine.

The next thing I was aware of, the sun was high in the sky and pouring in through the window, and I was still laying with my head on Emmett's chest, his arm was no longer rubbing my back but resting heavily against me pulling me into him. His breathing was deep and even, and I knew he was asleep.

I lifted my head slowly so that I could check him out while he slept. I noticed the thick chain around his neck and the ring that hung from it. It was a plain platinum band, timeless and perfect, and I ran my fingers along it. I remembered putting it on his hand during our ceremony and found myself hoping it would be there again very soon.

I looked up higher, at his jawline. There was definite stubble there, and I couldn't resist reaching up to run my hand along it. He smiled in his sleep and that tasty little dimple was in full view. So sexy!

I couldn't wait any longer; I inched up, pulling myself even with his neck, and then his cheek. I gently kissed his jawline, eliciting the same smile as before and as soon as that little dimple appeared, I darted my tongue out and tasted it. _Way better then I expected!_

"Ummm," he groaned as he tightened his arm around me. "Can I wake up like that all the time?"

"Sorry to wake you," I said softly, blushing at having been caught licking his dimple.

"If that's the way you wake me," he said huskily, "never be sorry."

He turned towards me and our lips met.

"Em," I moaned, not getting any farther as he moved to deepen the kiss.

Our lips moved against each other, enticing each other to explore further, until finally he pulled away.

"God, Bella," he panted.

"Emmett," I said, resting my forehead against his.

"Can we stay just like this all day?" he asked. Aloud rumbling from his stomach cut his statement off.

"No," I giggled, "but we don't need to go far. Let's get some food."

"Order in?" he asked.

"I can cook," I said.

"What can you cook?" he asked.

"Anything," I said. "I've been cooking since I was ten."

"Why?" he asked.

"My dad couldn't cook, neither could Jake or Billy," I said. "So we either ate all meals at the diner or I developed some cooking skill."

"Where was you mom?" he asked.

"She was young when I was born, only seventeen. By the time I was two, she decided that motherhood wasn't for her and she took off. I haven't seen or heard from her since."

"Bitch," he mumbled.

"Pretty much," I said, pulling away from him. "But I had my dad, and of course Jake and his dad, Billy."

"So you've known Jake for a long time?" he asked.

"Our dads have been best friends forever. Jake's mom died when he was a few months old so Billy and my dad, Charlie, just kinda hung out. Jake and I were best friends before we knew what best friends were. Our dads hoped that we would get married and seal the deal, but Jake liked my Barbies more than I did from the time we were really young and by the time he was a teenager, he was sure he was batting for the other team."

"And your dads didn't freak?" he asked as I stood up fully. His eyes raked over my naked body and I blushed and moved to cover myself.

"Please don't," he said. "You are absolutely breath-taking."

"Thank you," I said. I reached down to the floor and grabbed his shirt, pulling it on.

He sat up and looked around, finding his jeans on the floor. He moved across the room to grab them as I did up the buttons on his shirt. I watched as he moved, the muscles in his back rippled with his movement and his ass was extremely enticing.

"Like the view?" he asked cockily as he turned around and caught me looking at him.

"Maybe," I said, biting my lip.

He pulled his jeans up, commando, and walked over in front of me.

"You look good in my clothes," he said.

"I like them," I said.

"Them?" he asked.

I blushed a little more, and walked to my closet, pulling out his shirt that I had stolen from Vegas.

"You wore my shirt when you got back from Vegas?" he asked.

I just nodded my head.

He pulled me into his arms. "Why?" he asked huskily.

"Because it smelt like you," I said.

"I still have the little scrap of material that used to be your panties," he said, showing off those sexy dimples.

I blushed furiously at that.

"Bella," he said walking over to me. "I've met a lot of people... I've even been with a few, but nobody ever has done to me what you do and I know next to nothing about you. It's so messed up and we've done this so backwards... but I can't regret it... nothing except what happened at the hospital yesterday."

"You must have been shocked," I said. "I know I was, first, when I met Edward and then when I heard your voice."

He chuckled slightly.

"I was just telling him when you guys came," I said. "First I thought he'd remember me, then when he had no clue, I didn't know how to tell him. I mean he had no clue and I was about to announce that I was his sister-in-law."

"I can see how that would be difficult," he said.

"I knew I couldn't let him leave that day without asking him. I just didn't know how..." I said.

"It's okay," he said wrapping his arms around me. "Please tell me you can forgive me for making assumptions at the hospital. I told my parents everything... well a modified version of everything, and my father freaked. In our position there are always posers, people who try to get close to us to see what they can get from us."

"Em, I wasn't lying when I said I didn't want anything. I am a little girl from a little town with big dreams of making a difference," I said.

"I know," he said. "That was part of you that I found so special. Even when we were choosing your ring, I had to lie about the price to get you to agree to it."

"What?" I asked.

"You gave me a price limit," he said, grinning wildly.

"And?" I asked.

"I may have gone a little over," he said, "but I kept up with our bargain."

"So what was this limit that I gave you?" I asked. "And what bargain?"

"You said it couldn't cost more than you made in a month," he said. "I bargained that if I went over I would have make a contribution of an equal amount to an educational or children's charity."

"What?" I asked. "You did that?"

"I started the process," he said. "I hoped to finish it when I found you again. Bella, when I saw that the ring wasn't on your finger, I jumped to conclusions... I thought that you regretted us. I was hurt and I lashed out. I have never felt like such an ass and so happy all in an instant."

"What?" I asked giggling slightly.

He lowered his lips to my forehead and I could feel him smiling.

"I was an ass because I was scared you didn't feel the same way about me... and I was happy because I knew that if you had the rings around your neck that maybe you did," he said.

"I love holding you this way," I said, moving my hand up and touching his wedding ring that hung from a chain on his neck.

"Why is yours here?" I asked.

"Rosalie, for one," he said. "Edward and Jasper knew she would pitch a fit, and then the press. I didn't want them catching wind of it before we decided what we were going to do."

I nodded in understanding.

"Do you think that Edward really will call off the wedding?" I asked him.

"God, I hope so," he said. "She is horrible. He'll either kill himself or her if they go through with it. I swear the only reason they have gotten along for as long as they have is because of the distance between them."

"But nine years?" I asked.

"He was always the studious one. For a long time I think she was an excuse to keep other girls away, then it was easy," he said.

"I can't imagine that anything about her is easy," I muttered.

"You're right," he chuckled.

"I think I like the sound of that," I said, grinning cheekily.

He laughed out loud, followed by another growl from his stomach. "So are we going to eat or what?" he asked.

"Let's go, " I said, pulling him toward my kitchen.

"What do you feel like eating?" I asked him.

"That's a loaded question," he responded.

"Food," I said turning into his chest once more and running my hand across his abs.

"You decide... just be aware that I can probably eat about ten times what you do," he warned.

"You haven't seen me eat after I get off that shift," I said, blushing.

"And you haven't seen what I can eat," he said. "Especially after a workout."

I blushed even redder and he leaned down and kissed me.

I told him to sit at the table as I began to move around the kitchen, defrosting meat and preparing everything else.

"Do you want anything to drink?" I asked him, showing him the selection in the fridge.

"Is it too early for beer?" he asked. "I have no clue what time it is."

"It's three," I said. "According to my father as long as it's after noon, it's fine."

"Okay," he said with a laugh. "It feels like it should be morning."

"I know," I said. "This shift screws with my internal clock."

"Do you work it a lot?" he asked.

"All the time during my residency," I said. "Not so much anymore... I think this is my last thirty six hour shift for a while... I'm down to twenty four hour shifts now."

"I don't like that," he frowned.

"Such is the glamorous life of a doctor," I said with a shrug.

"How did you decide to go into medicine?" he asked.

"I was a klutzy kid. I spent an awful lot of time in the emergency room when I was a kid... I guess it rubbed off on me."

"Why don't you work in the ER?" he asked.

"You're going to laugh," I said.

"I won't," he promised, sipping his beer.

"You will," I assured him. "Edward did after he promised he wouldn't."

"Is it that bad?" he asked.

"Yup," I said.

"Okay," he said, adding. "I promise not too laugh too much?" It came out sounding like a question.

I huffed once before responding, "I don't like blood."

"What?" he asked, looking shocked and not laughing at all.

"Blood makes me nauseous," I said.

"I didn't expect that," he said, fighting the smile that was threatening to break onto his face.

"I deal with it, but prefer not to," I said.

"Okay, makes sense," he said.

"You did it," I said.

"What?" he asked.

"Made it through without laughing," I said.

"The thought of you being uncomfortable isn't funny," he said.

"Well, thank you," I said. "Most people find it hilarious."

He put his beer down and walked over to me. I stopped my movements. He reached into my shirt and pulled out the rings that were there on the chain.

"Will you let me put these back on your finger?" he asked seriously.

"If you want me to," I said.

"Do you want them there?" he asked.

"Yes," I said softly.

He reached around my neck and fumbled a bit to unclasp the chain. Once he did, he slid the two rings down the chain and into his palm. Once he had them, he placed the chain on the counter and lifted my left hand.

"I want these there. I understand why you can't wear them at work... but I really want them there," he said huskily.

He kissed my hand and placed the wedding band on my finger, followed by the engagement ring.

"Does that mean that you'll wear yours?" I asked him.

"I'd like that he said, reaching for his own chain. I stopped his hands with my own and reached up for the chain, unclasping it as I felt his body pressed against my own. I slid the ring off the chain and placed the chain down next to mine.

"I'd like that too," I added huskily. He held his left hand up and smiled at me as I slid the ring onto his finger.

"My wife," he said pulling me up into his arms.

"My husband," I said, raising my lips to meet his.

The kiss was scorching, our lips moved together in celebration. I knew next to nothing about the man in front of me... at least I now knew his last name, but not much else. What I did know is that my whole body cried out for him, not just the physical, but all the way down to my soul.

He pulled my tight against his chest and I wrapped my legs around him again.

"Fuck, Baby," he said. "I want you right here, right now."

"Yes," I mumbled into his mouth. He sat me on the counter, stepped back a step, and looked me over hungrily. I had never felt particularly pretty, in fact, I was average in every way, but when I looked at Emmett as he looked at me, I felt like the most beautiful woman on earth. My courage and confidence were flying high and I used my heels to pull him close to me again.

His hands reached down and began to unbutton his shirt from my torso. At that moment I didn't care about the food that was cooking on the other side of the kitchen. I didn't care about his favorite color or the reaction of his family. There was only one button left to undo when three things happened at once; the oven timer went off, signalling that the food was ready, my house phone rang and there was a knock at the door.

"I guess that means we're done for now," he sighed.

"I guess so," I panted, moving to fix the buttons.

He groaned in response and went to sit, smirking an apology at his inability to answer the door.

"Just a minute," I called out. "Em, can you grab the pan from the oven?'

I fixed the shirt, making sure it covered everything and grabbed my cordless phone on my way to the door. I opened the door at the same time as I answered the door.

"Hello," I said to both.

"Oh, Bella, it's so great to finally meet you," chirped the girl at the door who threw herself onto me for a hug.

"Isabella Marie Swan! What the hell is the meaning of this?" the voice of my father in my ear asked at the same moment.

Between the shock of the short pixie-like creature that was assaulting me, and the angry voice of my father, I dropped the phone and stumbled back. Emmett, who had already grabbed the food from the oven, apparently was making his way out to the door.

Once again, I found myself about to make contact with the floor, only to be saved by his strong arms.

"What is it with my family trying to bowl you over?" he asked as he righted me and Alice. I simply giggled as he wrapped his arms around me, using me to shield his sister's eyes from the bulge that was pressing against my back, nearly making me moan.

"It smells good in here," the pixie girl said as she moved into the apartment as though nothing had happened.

"Alice," Emmett grumbled.

"Jazz will be up in a minute," she replied, smiling widely at him. "He's just parking the car."

"And you couldn't wait for him?" Emmett asked.

"Wait?" she deadpanned. "Why would I do that?"

"Hmmm," he replied. "Stupid question I guess."

"Bella," Emmett said, squeezing me tight. "I would like you to meet my baby sister. Brat, I would like you to meet my wife, Bella."

"We're going to be best friends, I just know it," she said quickly.

"Just go with it," Emmett fake whispered. "Then maybe she'll go away."

I giggled as Alice glared at Emmett.

"Be nice Emmett, or I won't tell you what I came here to say," she said.

She was maybe five feet tall, but that might have been because of the high heels on her feet. She was petite and stylish, with short spiky hair and an infectious smile. I found myself wondering how she could possibly be related to Edward and Emmett who were both over six feet tall.

"Oh, Bella," she said looking at me. "Who was on the phone?"

"Crap!" I said, pulling out of Emmett's arms and grabbing the forgotten phone. "Hello," I said as I picked it up off the floor.

"So it's true?" my father's gruff voice said.

"What's true?" I asked.

"You're married?" he asked.

"I'm going to kill Jake," I growled.

"Jake knew?" he asked.

"If he didn't tell you then who did?" I asked.

"The twelve reporters that are camped out in my front lawn," he growled. "You better start talking, Little Girl."

"I will, Dad," I said. "I promise, but can I please talk to Emmett for a few minutes and call you back?"

"So that's my son-in-law's name?" he asked.

"Yeah," I responded. "Sorry, Dad. Let me get this all figured out and then I'll call you back and explain everything."

"You have twenty minutes, then I'm calling Jake and coming to Seattle," he threatened.

"Fine. I love you, Daddy," I said.

"What was that, Bella?" Emmett asked, looking concerned.

"There are reporters on my dad's front lawn in Forks," I said. "They informed him that we were married."

"What?" he roared. "Alice!"

There was another knock at the door and Alice hopped up to go and answer it.

"Did you make it through the throng okay?" she asked the man I assumed to be Jasper. He looked a hell of a lot like a male version of Rosalie, with his good looks and his impeccably tailored clothing. Without a word from him, I found myself very apprehensive of the tall blonde man.

"Sure did, Darlin'," he drawled with a slight southern accent.

"The throng?" Emmett asked again, pulling me into his arms once more.

"Yeah," Jasper said with a nod.

"How the hell did they find out?" he asked.

"Apparently some doctor from the hospital decided to tattle for a price," Alice said with a scowl on her face.

"I'm going to kill Edward," I said.

"What?" the other two Cullen siblings, and Jasper asked.

"Kevin Watson! Shit!" I said.

"Woah," Jasper said. "You are completely losing us here, Girl. Can you back up the truck and explain it to us so we can understand?"

"Ugg!" I said, taking a deep breath. "When you guys all showed up, Jake got Kevin Watson to cover the clinic where Edward and I were supposed to be at that point. When I went back, he was being a jackass and propositioning me like normal when Edward jumped in to defend me. Kevin upped his game with Edward there and made a few derogatory remarks. Edward did not take them well and defended me by telling him that I was married to his brother, Emmett."

"He was propositioning you?" Emmett grumbled.

"Not like he hasn't done it a thousand times," I said. "I responded the same way that I always do. He may be nice to look at, but I could never be that desperate."

"So what's the damage, Alice?" Emmett asked, holding on to me tighter.

"None so far. They know who she is and are trying to find details on how you two met and everything else. Garrett has the jewellery store manager and the officiant locked up tight. The limo driver is one of ours and completely safe. I spent the last hour with Jake, who won't say anything, I'm sure," Alice said. "Is there anyone else who knows any details?"

"Not from me," I said.

"Just the family," Emmett said.

"Rose!" Jasper said. "Shit!"

"What?" I asked.

"She's on a rampage," Alice said. "Edward was not pissing around apparently and has called off the wedding. He actually went full bore and had Jane alerting the media and everything."

"What?" Emmett asked. "Holy shit!"

"So now Rose will likely spill everything she knows," Jasper said. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize for her. Nothing you could say or do would affect my opinion of your sister, nor would anything she does affect my opinion of you," I said to him.

"You're a good person, Isabella," he said.

"Yeah and if you call me that again, I might just have to kick your ass," I said. "Bella is just fine."

"Okay, Bella," he said with a grin.

_Damn! So many sexy men in one family!_

"So now," Emmett said. "How can we minimize the damage?"

"And what is my father supposed to say to the reporters on his lawn?" I asked.

"Is he good at public speaking?" Alice said, looking hopeful.

"He's the chief of police," I said. "He may not be used to the numbers of reporters, but I'm sure he could handle something. Of course, I have to explain everything to him first."

"Let me," said Alice as she held out her hand for the phone.

For some reason, I didn't feel like I had a choice. I handed her the phone and told her the number as both the men in the room looked on, amused. As soon as she dialled, she walked down the hall for a little distance.

"So, can we eat?" Emmett asked. "I'm starving."

"Only if you're willing to share with Jasper and Alice," I said, painfully aware that I was wearing his shirt and only his shirt.

"If I must," he said with a sigh.

"Let me slip into a few more clothes," I said, "then I'll serve."

"I like you this way," Emmett whispered into my ear.

"I don't mind when it's just us, but I do have an issue with flashing the goods to others," I whispered back.

That was met with a hearty chuckle and I walked down the hall to the bedroom, trying to ignore Alice's conversation with my father on the way. Once I was dressed, I made my way to the kitchen and made a salad before putting everything on plates for the four of us, still making certain to allow Emmett to have the largest serving. As I was about to grab Jasper and Emmett's plates to bring them through, Alice appeared in my kitchen with the phone.

"He wants to talk to you," she said with a smile.

"Okay," I said. "You want to take the food through to the guys?"

"Did you cook this?" she asked, smelling the plate.

"Yeah," I said, rather tentatively.

"Wow! It's smells so good! The only thing I can make is reservations," she said.

I laughed then picked up the phone.

"Hello," I said.

"Hi, Baby Girl," my father said.

"How are you?" I asked.

"A hell of a lot calmer now," he said with a short laugh.

"What did Alice say?" I asked. "You were ready to have a coronary the last time we spoke."

"She told me what a good guy her brother is and that he will treat you right, mostly," he said.

"You didn't do the cop-dad thing did you?" I asked.

"No," he replied, but I could hear the mischief in his voice. "I'm saving that until I meet him."

"Dad!" I said.

"It's my job, Honey," he said laughing at me. "I have to."

"Be nice," I said.

"I'll try," he said. "No promises. Now I'm off to call and interrogate Jake."

"He's at work," I said, smiling. "Good luck with that."

"No worries," he said. "I'll just use my police chief rank."

"Dad!" I said again.

"Bye Honey," he said. "See you on Saturday."

I was left sputtering and stammering into the phone before I put down the obviously dead line. I grabbed my plate and went into the living room where Emmett, Jasper and Alice were eating their food very quietly.

"Alice, why is my father coming on Saturday?" I asked.

"To meet Emmett," she said.

Emmett looked at me with a look of concern.

"What did you tell him to say to the reporters on his lawn?" I asked again.

"That you two are married and that he looks forward to spending some time with you both," she said completely nonchalantly.

"What?" I asked.

"Is that a problem?" she asked.

"How did you know that I'm not working?" I asked.

"Silly Bella," she replied. "I asked Jake."

"You know Jake?" I asked.

"Yeah!" she said. "He is a great guy. How did you think I found out where you lived?"

"From Edward," I said.

"No," she huffed. "He wouldn't say a thing. I just had to talk to someone so I remembered Jake and made it happen."

"I'm confused," I said.

"Don't worry, she does that to everyone," Jasper said with a shy smile. "It's easier to just accept it."

"So Jake told you where I lived?" I clarified.

"Yup," she said.

"And what else did Jake tell you?" I asked.

"Pretty much everything," she replied.

"Like?" I asked.

"You hate shopping, you don't date because you're far too serious about the whole doctor thing, this Vegas thing is completely out of character for you, your favorite foods, your favorite soap, you don't wear make-up except for lip gloss..."

"How the hell did you get Jake to spill?" I asked incredulously.

"He just liked me," she said.

"Alice owns her own clothing brand," Emmett said with an amused smirk on his face. "It is very posh and popular and she has no issue using her name or her merchandise to get what she wants. How close am I to the truth here, Sis?"

"Emmett," she gasped, feigning offense. "I did no such thing."

"Here Bella," Emmett said handing me the phone from the side table. "Give Jake a call and ask him."

"Go ahead," she said smugly. "We have a non-disclosure agreement."

"You would destroy their friendship that way... Alice!" Emmett said, acting shocked.

"What?" she asked.

"Seriously! How do you expect my wife to feel? You've managed to hit up her best friend for information and have him bound to silence. So either he breaks his word to you or his friendship to her. How do you think you are going to fair in that situation?" he asked.

"They've been friends forever! There's no danger of that," Alice said.

"You know what, Alice?" I said, looking at her. "I don't know if we are going to be friends."

"What?" she asked obviously stunned by my words.

"I would have told you all of that stuff myself... but to go behind my back and bribe my best friend... I don't know if I can deal with that," I said.

"Come on, Bella," she said. "You're my sister-in-law. You have to like me."

"So you like Rosalie?" I asked, reminding her of Jasper's sister.

"That's different. She spoiled and tries to get everything her own way!" she said, defending her dislike of the blond amazon.

I just raised my eyebrows and looked at her, silently asking her what the difference was in her behavior. I wasn't really angry. I knew that Jake would never sell me out completely and there was just something about the pixie that got under my skin

"It's okay," I said seriously, as I squeezed Emmett's hand. "I'm sure I will be able to remain civil."

"I won't go to Jake anymore," Alice promised. "I won't use my fashion connections to lure him to tell all. Please!"

Emmett and Jasper laughed wildly at the panicked tone Alice had taken.

"I'm sure you will," I said, smirking at her. "So, don't make promises you won't keep. Just know it's dirty and underhanded. Plus all the information he's given so far is really nothing I wouldn't have told anyone. My address is in the phone book. You just have to look at me to see the makeup thing. I would actually stake my life on the fact that no matter what the offer he would never tell you anything I would deem personal."

"Your wife is good, Emmett," Jasper said with a nod as Alice stared at me, completely speechless.

"You don't know how good!" Emmett said, pulling me closer to him.

"So TMI!" Alice said, coming out of her stupor.

We all laughed and sat back.

"So when are you going to talk to Dad again, Emmett?" Alice asked.

"Probably tomorrow, whether I want to or not," he grumbled.

"Don't let this come between you and your dad," I said, motioning towards our hands, which were clasped together.

"He went too far and I was too shocked to say anything. For that I am eternally sorry, but to attack you like that... He was worse than Rose," he said with a scowl.

"It's okay," I said. "He was trying to protect his family."

"You are far too kind," Alice said. "He did go overboard."

"And I was being honest when I said I don't care about money. I am happy with what I have and so if he wants some prenup or postnup... then I'll do it," I said. "I don't want anyone stressed because of me."

"I think Rose is the one that kinda..." Jasper started to say.

"Their prenup was thirty seven pages," Alice said.

"What?" I asked. "How many pages do you need to say keep your own money?"

"That wasn't exactly Rose's goal," Jasper said.

"Gross," I said.

"There are a lot of things you aren't considering," Emmett said quietly. "Money is an issue."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because when you are a Cullen you have expectations. Look, I'm not saying that things have to change a ton but some things do," Emmett said.

"Such as?" I asked.

"Where we live for one," he said.

"We have a lot of talking to do," I said. "Hell, I don't even know if you live in Seattle."

"Most of the time," he said. "Guys, you need to jet so that we can figure some things out."

"But..." Alice started to argue.

"Come on, Alicat," Jasper said. "Let's let them figure things out. I'm sure you can play with Bella next time."

I giggled as she looked between Jasper, and Emmett and I.

"Do you promise?" she said looking right at me.

"Yes," I said.

"Fine," she said. "Tomorrow?"

"Working," I said. "Call me we'll figure something out."

They left quickly, thanking me again for the meal.

"So," I asked looking at Emmett once we were alone. "Where do we start?"

"Hi," he said, with a smile. "My name is Emmett McCarty Cullen."

"Hello," I said, giggling. "My name is Isabella Marie Swan... Cullen."

His grin when I added the Cullen could have lit up the whole city.

"I'm 28, work for Cullen Hotels as a senior VP, and I generally work far too much to enjoy life," he said, pulling me so that my back was against his chest.

"I'm 25, work as a doctor at Seattle Grace, and I definitely work too much," I said.

"I'm allergic to cats," he said.

"I'm not an animal person," I responded. "I love raw peppers but hate them when they're cooked."

"Opposite for me with mushrooms. I hate them raw and love them cooked," he said.

"I grew up in Forks, went to school in California, and moved here," I said.

"I never went to school until I was twelve when Eddie, just had tutors at home and then I went to boarding school," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Private tutors," he said in his best British accent, which was not very good.

"I went to school in Forks. I started kindergarten with nine other kids. They were all in my graduating class, and only one person joined in the middle," I said.

"Eddie and Jasper are my best friends," he said. "The only other people I ever hang with for fun are Peter and Garrett, and their wives."

"Jake is my best friend," I said. "None of the girls in Forks had much time for me. I didn't like makeup, dressing up and parties. I preferred to spend all my time reading or with Jake."

"I love sports," he said.

"I was so clumsy I would trip on air. It didn't get better until I took karate," I said.

"What belt are you?" he asked.

"Brown," I replied.

"Sweet," he said, causing me to laugh.

He was silent for a moment.

"My goal is to open or work at a clinic for the working poor," I said. "There is assistance for those without jobs but often the working poor are left with little to no options."

"How so?" he asked.

I told him about the lady in the building that I told Edward about. He nodded and asked some pretty meaningful questions.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" he asked me.

"My answer is different then it would have been just a few days ago," I answered with a smile, turning to look at his eyes.

"Mine too," he said, smiling at me.

"Working in a clinic, coming home to you every night," I said, embarrassed to be letting him know how much he was affecting me. "How about you?"

"Laying off the traveling portion of the job, buying a house in Seattle and coming home to make love to my beautiful, hot, sexy wife every night," he said.

"Have I met her?" I asked. I tried desperately not to let him know how much his words thrilled me. I don't know if I was successful or not.

"You are her," he said. "You are the most incredible person I've ever met, Bella. You are beautiful both inside and out. You are brave and strong. You are smart, with a higher grade point average then Eddie, I hear. You stood up to Rosalie when the rest of us were too stupid to do it. You stood your ground with my father. You forgave me for not standing up for you, you were courteous with my sister and Jazz, you are a great cook and you fit so perfectly in my arms I'm never going to let you go."

He pulled me into his chest, effectively breaking our eye contact as a single tear rolled down my cheek. It was now or never and I chose now.

"I love you," I said to him quietly.

"Thank God!" he responded, pulling me so that he could see me. I helped with that moving so that I was straddling his waist.

"What?" I asked, confused by words. The smile on his face and the sparkle in his blue eyes told me it wasn't a bad reaction.

"I love you, Bella," he said, before lowering his lips to mine.

We were done with talking for the time being. We both knew that we had huge hurdles still to overcome, but the simple fact was that we were willing to overcome them together.


	5. Jake and the Cullens

We finally came up for air later that night when Jake knocked, or pounded, on the door. He had a key, so I knew that we wouldn't be able to keep him out for long.

"I only knocked as a formality," he said as he walked in as if he owned the place. "I didn't want to risk seeing your skinny white ass doing the dirty with Mr. Sex on Wheels over there."

"Key," I said holding out my hand.

"What?" he asked looking shocked.

"Key," I said again, before adding, "Now!"

"Why?" he asked looking completely hurt.

"Alice," I said, looking him dead in the eye.

"You know I didn't tell her anything, Baby Girl," he said stumbling over himself. "I wouldn't do that to you. I just told her stuff that you would have told her... and she had name brands... Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Coach!"

"I don't like it, Jake," I said. "What if it's some paparazzi guy next?"

"I wouldn't! Not only would you never speak to me again, but Billy would disown me and Charlie would shoot me. I love you, Baby Girl! I would never hurt you like that," he said.

"I don't know," I said, turning my back to him and catching Emmett's eye. He looked extremely concerned about my spat with Jake, until I winked at him. He went from concerned to confused until I smiled at him, then he realized that this was all an act.

"Come on," Jake begged. "I'll do anything!"

"I just can't believe you would do that to me," I said.

"Please, Baby Girl," he said. "You know I would never hurt you. You are my sister and my best friend."

"But you talked to her... for name brands, Jake..." I said.

"Coach, Gucci... I know you don't care about them, Baby Girl... I'll tell you everything I said. You know I wouldn't say anything bad. You know me better than that," he begged.

"Do you promise never to do it again?" I asked.

"I swear!" he said, pleading with me with his tone.

"I still need the key," I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm married now and you never know what I'll be doing and when. I would rather not have to worry about you interrupting anything," I said, turning to face him.

"Then you'll forgive me for talking to Alice?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, "as long as you promise to keep your mouth shut."

"Like you have any skeletons!" he huffed as he handed me the key.

"Well there are a lot of people looking for them, so I would prefer not to have to worry about anything coming from you," I said, hugging my friend. He hugged me back; glad I was no longer mad at him.

"They're tricky too, Jacob," Emmett said, finally involving himself in the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked, letting me go and looking at Emmett.

"You aren't on a level playing field when dealing with the press, or with Alice for that matter," Emmett said. "I bet you didn't set out to say anything to Alice, did you?"

"No, but..." Jake said.

"That's how the press works. They start by saying something that will inflame you somehow, to get under your skin, usually some little lie or half-truth. You start talking to try to correct them and the next thing you know, BAM, you've spilled something that you never wanted to," Emmett said.

"So what do I do?" Jake asked, seeing how he had been played by Alice.

"We learned that the press doesn't really want the truth, they want the story. Most of the time they will mix your words to make things more sensational than they are. Alice, Jasper, Edward, and I, Rose too, have all been trained to deal with the media. We have people that we've all worked with to teach us how not to be baited in these situations. I'd like to get someone to talk with you and with you, Bella," Emmett said.

"Is it necessary?" I asked.

"I think so," Emmett said.

"I'll do it," I said.

"Why do I have to?" Jake asked creasing his brow. "It's not like I went off and got hitched in Vegas."

"Because you are her best friend. As soon as they figure out that you are attached to Bella in any way, you will be hounded mercilessly," Emmett said.

"Okay, then..." Jake said, frowning. "Bring on the trainers."

"Sorry, Jakey," I said.

"We're in this together, Baby Girl," Jake said, grabbing my hand. "As always!"

"What are the chances of the two of you getting a few days off?" Emmett asked.

"Tomorrow... impossible," I said. "Jake may have a little more leeway. After that, I may be able to swing it."

"Edward will be with you on your shift tomorrow, thankfully. The security at the hospital will be tested to the max. Understand that the press will stop at nothing to get a hold of you especially Bella," Emmett said.

"So what am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"I'll text, Ed and have him set up a meeting with Jane and Alec. He may have already to try to deal with the firestorm that Rose is likely to unleash. I'm afraid that since you actually confronted her, and have what she most desperately wants, that you are going to be the target of her attacks. She will likely hire a P.I. to find out what she can... my father probably has too, the stupid ass," he said, clenching his hands into fists.

"Not your fault," I said, grabbing his hands, with mine, forcing him to open his hands and link fingers with me. "He's trying to protect you. He can look for all he wants. I have no police record, never did anything stupid in college, not a mark on my high school record; there is nothing to find."

"Baby Girl didn't drink until she was 21, has been drunk twice, both times because of me and the most dramatic thing she did, before marrying you, was try to tip a cabbie $80 when she fell for his sob story about having six kids," Jake said.

"What about your family?" Emmett asked, holding me.

"My mother took off when I was a baby and my father is a small town cop. He has never so much as had a speeding ticket. He has lived in Forks all his life. Jake and his dad, Billy, are our only family. The dads took turns with childcare when they had something to do. My dad doesn't know that I know, but he's had a steady girlfriend for... what Jake, ten years?" I said.

"Yeah," he said with a laugh. "Billy has been with his for eight... but they both think we don't know."

"Why don't you two tell them that you know?" Emmett laughed.

"They don't want to tell us, so... it's none of our business," I said.

"Plus if we told them we knew, they might share details," Jake said adding a fake shiver.

"So the only question is your mother," Emmett said. "If they find anything out do you want to know?"

"My dad found her a few years ago... I am honestly not interested," I said. "She wasn't interested in me, so she can just stay away."

"Fair enough," Emmett said, pulling me against him.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"Honestly, we should go to my parent's house. I need to talk to Edward and probably my parents," he said. "If you don't want to..."

"I'm fine, Emmett," I said. "He can accuse me of anything he wants. I know what's true and what's not. Nothing he says will affect the way I feel about you."

"How was the press when you arrived?" Emmett asked.

"I parked in the underground. I didn't see many," Jake said.

"You parked in the underground?" Emmett asked. I forgot he didn't know that Jake lived in the same building.

"He lives on the other end of the floor," I said.

"Wanna go for a drive, Jake?" Emmett asked.

"What?" he asked.

"Would you drive us to my parent's house. It's about a twenty minute drive," Emmett said.

"Sure. Can I get out of my scrubs? Baby Girl should probably wash the freshly sexed look off before she officially meets the 'rents anyway," Jake said.

"JAKE!" I said, turning to glare at him.

"Only the truth, Baby Girl!" he laughed. "I'll be back in thirty minutes."

"Make it an hour!" I said. "I may want to get dirtier first!"

"TMI!" Jake yelled as he left the apartment.

Emmett laughed. "You two are so funny together... and to think I was jealous when we were going to meet him in Vegas," he said.

"He's my brother," I said. "Even if he wasn't gay there would never be anything more between us."

"I trust you," he said. "Are you really okay going to my parents' place?"

"Yeah," I said.

"I won't let him talk to you the way he did before. I was just so shocked, Bella. I couldn't believe you were standing there with Edward," he said again.

"I felt the same way," I said. "The thrill that went through me when you called me your wife... I can't even describe. I was so scared that you forgot me... that I was going to make a fool out of myself telling Edward and then you wouldn't even remember me."

"I could never forget you," he said, kissing me softly.

"I love you, Em,"I said.

"I love you too, Beautiful," he said. "I'm sorry that this isn't easy. I have never hated all of the bullshit as much as I do now. I just want to protect you from it all and I couldn't even protect you from my own family. What's it going to be like when we have kids?"

"You want kids?" I asked.

"I do," he said. "Do you?"

"Yeah," I said. "I never really thought about it before."

"I haven't either, but I would love to see you pregnant with my baby. Does that make me a caveman?" he asked, laughing slightly.

"Maybe a little bit," I giggled. "You may see that sooner rather than later."

"What?" he asked.

"I haven't been on the pill because I didn't need it... and to this point neither of us have even considered birth control," I said.

He was silent for a second before grinning wildly.

"Is it wrong that I'm happy about that?" he asked, staring at me with his bright blue eyes.

"No," I said. "Because it kinda makes me happy that it's a possibility."

"My mom would go NUTS," he laughed.

"In a bad way?" I asked.

"Not at all," he said. "She already likes you. She told me that I better fix things. She knows that we were made for each other. She was so proud of you for not taking anyone's shit. Even in the middle of the big mess she could see who you really were."

"Okay, so there are more people that don't hate me," I said.

"My dad doesn't hate you. He is pissed at me and took it out on you," he said.

"We'll see," I said. "It really doesn't matter though."

"It matters to me," he said. "You are my wife and he will treat you with all the respect he should or I will kick his ass."

"There is no need for ass kicking," I said. "Let him do what he needs. I will sign whatever pre-nup he wants and we can get on with the business of being newlyweds."

"I like that," he said, scooping me up.

I kissed his neck as he carried me down the hall towards the bedroom. To my surprise he stopped at the bathroom and said, "Jake said you needed to shower. I guess I should too. Shall we conserve water?"

"That would be very environmentally conscious of us," I murmured against his ear.

"Definitely a plus," he said, opening the bathroom door.

I wish I could say I had a wonderful shower that could easily contain two people. That wasn't the case, but somehow we made it work. We managed to be ready on time, well sorta. Jake just rolled his eyes at us as we met him at the elevator to head down to the garage. Jake's yellow mustang stuck out like a sore thumb down here where all the other cars seemed to be silver, black or blue.

"Want to try to guess which one is mine?" Jake asked Emmett.

"The mustang," Emmett said. "It's a '68 isn't it?"

They spoke 'Car & Driver' as we moved towards the car.

"So how do we do this?" I asked. "He doesn't have tinted glass."

"Got a blanket in the back?" Emmett asked.

"I'm going nowhere near THAT blanket," I said.

"Why not?" Emmett asked.

My horrified expression must have answered that for him.

"She calls it the 'Stang Condom," Jake said.

"No blanket," Emmett said quickly. I think he may have shuddered, too.

Instead we ended up using a baseball cap and newspapers. I was certain it wouldn't work, but three minutes later we were free and clear from the mess of reporters that were surrounding the building.

"So what was up with your parental unit?" Jake asked Emmett. "Why did he piss on Baby Girl's breakfast?"

"I should have spoken up," Emmett grumbled. "I didn't expect him to be so rude. He was pissed at me, that I got married without a pre-nup. He figured that Bella must be a gold digger and I was too stunned to tell him to shut up. It won't happen again."

"I hope not," Jake said, looking at us through his rear view mirror. "You are a lucky man. Bella is one of the sweetest people in this world and I won't stand for her to be attacked again."

"I know," Emmett said, squeezing me tightly to him. "I won't either."

"I'm a big girl. I can deal with this. Neither of you need to fight my battles for me," I said.

"Bella," Emmett said, softly.

"No, Em," I said. "Please. I have had people making assumptions about me my whole life. If I let you fight my battles for me, I'll never do it myself."

"I understand," he said, looking me in the eye. "But, can I please fight with you? We are a team and we should stand together. Personally I hope you aren't planning on leaving me to deal with your father on my own."

I stared at him and nodded slowly. I knew he was making sense but when you come from a small town, your mother ran off, leaving you alone with a bachelor father, your best friend is gay, and you were more comfortable with books then people, you learned to stand up for yourself.

I snuggled into Emmett and tried not to think about the shit storm that I was likely walking into. Everyone was quiet in the car, which was odd for both men. The only sounds were Emmett's occasional directions to Jake, guiding him to his parents' house.

"Take the next right and pull up to the gate house," Emmett said.

"Gate house?" I asked. Exactly how big was this place? All I could see was the large fence and trees.

As Jake stopped the car, a large man came out of the house, almost glaring at the car.

"Open your window, Jake," Emmett said.

"What is your business here?" the large guard asked Jacob.

"It's okay, Felix. He's with me," Emmett said.

"Oh!" Felix said. "Good to see you again, Sir."

"Thank you," Emmett said. "This is my wife, Bella and her good friend, Jacob."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen," Felix said.

"Nice to meet you too, Felix," I said.

"On your way to the big house?" Felix asked.

"Yeah," Emmett said. "Please do not alert them to our arrival."

"No problem, Sir," Felix said.

"Just follow the main driveway, please, Jake," Emmett said, sitting back in the seat with me.

"Yes, Sir," Jake said, trying his best to sound formal. It just made me giggle.

Emmett pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear. "I liked it when he called you Mrs. Cullen."

"I did, too," I said, blushing slightly.

He lowered his lips to mine and kissed me softly. It didn't stay soft long as I reached up and wound my fingers into his hair

"Okay," Jake said from the front seat. "Best friend and honorary big brother present! Cut that shit out!"

Emmett let out a chesty laugh as I leaned into his chest, embarrassed that I had allowed us to get so carried away with others present. Honestly as soon as he kissed me, all though just seemed to fly out of my brain.

"So where is this place anyway? Canada?" Jake asked looking at the tree lined driveway.

"It's about a mile from the gate house," Emmett said.

"A mile?" I asked.

"This is the one place we can all be ourselves," Emmett said. "We don't have to hide. Drama kept to the minimum. Here we are like anyone else."

"I never thought about it like that," I muttered, realizing how hard life under a magnifying glass must be.

We snuggled silently as Jake started to hum show tunes from the front seat. Emmett looked down at me questioning the off tune manner with which Jake hummed. I rolled my eyes, thinking that if he thought Jake's humming was bad...

"Holy shit!" Jake said, moments later.

"What?" I asked.

"Is that a house?" Jake asked.

"Not pretentious at all is it?" Emmett laughed.

I just gaped. The house in front of me was three stories tall, and easily a city block long.

"Where do I park?" Jake asked, interrupting my musing.

"You might as well just pull up next to my Jeep," Emmett said, pointing to the Jeep. Jake stopped and got out, opening the back seat so Emmett could crawl out after him. Once he was out, he reached his hand in for mine, to help me out of the car.

"Wow," I said.

Emmett just smiled at me, looking rather nervous himself.

"Should I go?" Jake asked uncertainly.

"Nope," Emmett said. "You're practically family so you'd better get used to the place."

We started walking towards the large front doors and I was so clearly out of my element. Once we reached the doors, Emmett opened it, motioning for Jake to enter first and guiding me along with his hand at the small of my back. We stepped into the entryway, which was dominated by a massive chandelier. I gawked at the front hall.

"My dad's whole house would fit in this entry way," I muttered.

Emmett laughed slightly.

"I'm not kidding," I said.

"Really," Jake said. "She's not."

It's not so bad when you get used to it," Emmett soothed.

"Is there a map?" I asked, grabbing onto Emmett's hand like it was my lifeline.

"I won't let you go," he said, holding my hand a little tighter.

"Promise?" I asked.

"Definitely," he responded. "Come on."

He led us through the entry to a large formal living room. It looked so cold and uninviting, like everything was just for show.

"This is the formal living room. We never use this room except when Rose and Jasper's parents are here," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Rose doesn't fall far from the tree," Emmett said. "Jasper, on the other hand, is nothing like any of them."

"I could tell. If you hadn't have told me, I'd never have known they were related," I said.

"This is the Ladies' Sitting Room," Emmett said as we approached a smaller room, decorated in sunny yellow with floral accents. It was beautiful enough to be in any decorator magazine, yet comfortable enough to just want to sit and pull up a book.

"I like it," I said.

"That color would look great in my bathroom," Jake said. "And the drapes are to die for."

I rolled my eyes and smiled at my best friend before we continued down the hall. Emmett continued the tour, showing us a lounge, a den, a gentleman's study, a library and the tea room. Once we exited there, I heard voices coming from farther down the hall.

"I don't care what you have to do to make it happen," the voice said. "Just do it!"

I knew the voice belonged to Emmett's father and I gripped his hand a little tighter. He started to rub soothing circles onto the back of my hand and Jake looked at me concerned.

"Of course he wants it annulled!" his father said again.

I swear I heard Emmett growl, as the expression on his face turned dark. He made his way down the hall quickly, practically tugging me along.

"What do you think you are doing?" Emmett said as he walked into the wood paneled room.

Carlisle Cullen spun around and looked at Emmett. A look of shock crossed his face as he saw both Jake and I with him.

"Taking care of things," Carlisle said.

I finally took note of the two other men in the room. They had yellow legal notepads in front of them and they looked up in surprise at us.

"You will do no such thing," Emmett said. "Bella is my wife and I intend for her to stay that way."

"Emmett, be reasonable," Carlisle said to him. "You know nothing about her."

"I know enough," Emmett said.

"All you know is that she is obviously good in bed!" Carlisle seethed. "That makes a good mistress, not a good wife!"

"Shut your mouth and don't ever speak of my wife that way, ever again!" Emmett growled. "I love my wife!"

"Be reasonable, Son!" Carlisle said, continuing to ignore my presence. "So she seduced you with her feminine wiles. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just cut her loose, give her a little money and marry a girl worthy of being a Cullen."

"Like Rosalie?" Emmett snarled. "Look what that pedigree got us!"

"You know what I mean," he said.

"Bella is my wife and if she will consent to take my name I would be honored, and so should you!" Emmett seethed.

"Why wouldn't she take your name?" Carlisle asked.

"Because she worked hard to be a doctor, maybe she wants to keep her name, maybe the very thought of being a Cullen is horrific to her considering the way you have acted," Emmett seethed.

"She's in it for the money," Carlisle said again. "What else could it be?"

"You are a condescending pompous ass!" I said, speaking up for the first time. "In one short sentence you just prejudged me and degraded your own son."

"I would never degrade my son," he said. "You, on the other hand..."

"Enough!" Emmett said. "Choose your words very carefully old man, or you will regret allowing me to take all those martial arts classes."

"If that's your answer for everything, then I feel very sorry for you," I said, glaring at Carlisle. "Throw money at something and make it disappear?"

"I am fifty years old, and that has never failed me yet," Carlisle said.

"What a cold life you must have!" I seethed.

"Are you telling me that you don't have a price?" he asked.

"No, I do not have a price," I said, holding Emmett's hand tightly. "I am not some commodity to be bought or sold."

"How about this?" Carlisle asked, approaching us. He held a small folder of papers in his hand and held it out to me.

"Dad!" Emmett warned.

"We'll see," Carlisle said, smiling smugly at his son.

I took the papers that were offered and opened them up. After scanning the first paper quickly, I had to fight the bile rising in my throat. It was annulment papers, simply waiting for two signatures, Emmett's and mine. I quickly flipped it over and found a check made out to me, in the sum of twenty five million dollars.

I must say the sum shocked me, but the presumption that I would take the money and sign the papers made my blood boil.

"That is all Emmett is worth. All money other than that is held by me. You will not do any better," he said. "Take it to court and you will do substantially worse."

I didn't even look at Emmett, or at Jake, who had come to see what was on the paper. I simply pulled my hand from Emmett's, pulled the check away from the annulment papers and ripped the check in two.

"I don't want your money! If Emmett wants me to sign these, I will. I told you before; I have no interest in your money. I have everything that I want and need to make me happy," I dropped the pieces of the check to the ground and slipped my hand back into Emmett's, finally looking up to see him.

His eyes were glassy and he smiled softly at me. He pulled the remaining papers from my hand and tore them in two, dropping them next to the check.

"You have your answer," Emmett said, looking at his father.

"You are a despicable man," Jake seethed at Carlisle, as I was wrapped happily into my husband's warm embrace. "She is one of the sweetest and kindest people you will ever meet. She may not have grown up with this lifestyle, but it was never something she would have looked for. The crap you accused her of was low."

"Are you satisfied now, Dad?" Emmett seethed. "She turned down your money."

"Not quite," Carlisle said. "Aro and Caius have drafted a prenup for her to sign."

"Dad!" Emmett said, obviously trying to threaten his dad.

"She said that she would, so I had one drawn up," Carlisle said.

"I don't need a pre-nup," Emmett said, looking at me. "I don't want it, Bella."

"I know," I said, reaching up to caress his cheek. "Thank you." I placed a soft kiss on the underside of his jaw and turned to face my father-in-law.

"Just give it to me," I said, pulling completely out of my husband's embrace.

"Bella, you don't have to," Emmett said, looking me in the eye.

"Yes, Emmett. I do," I said, smiling softly at him. "This has never been about money and never will be. If I have to sign papers to prove that, then I will."

He looked at me sadly. "I love you," he said, softly.

"I love you, too," I told him before holding my hand out to Carlisle, to have him give me the pre-nup.

The contract that was given to me was three pages long. I looked at it quickly and decided to read it. The only thing that I would balk at was anything about children. I would not sign away my rights to any child or children that Emmett and I may have to prove my point.

"Each condition needs to be initialled," Carlisle said, "letting you know exactly what you are signing so that there can be nothing done from a legal point later. You won't be able to claim ignorance."

"I wouldn't," I said. "When are you going to open your ears and listen? This is not about money. In fact I wish that it wasn't an issue at all."

"Are you saying that you would be with Emmett even if he had nothing?" Carlisle asked, incredulously.

"When I met him, I didn't know if he drove a Pinto or a Porsche, and I didn't care. What I do care about is that he is one of the most gentle, kind and wonderful people I have ever met. The way he looks at me, the way he makes me feel is what matters. I will sign your stupid pre-nup because it is the only way that I can prove to you that none of this matters. I love your son. I would love him no matter what the balance on his checking account said."

Emmett moved to pull me into his arms as I stared at his father.

"So the money isn't an issue?" Carlisle clarified.

"It is an issue, actually," I said. "I hate it. I hate that there are reporters on my father's lawn, and a logistical nightmare in front of my apartment. I hate that we had to hide in the back of the car to get out of the building. I have a feeling that I won't be able to do a lot of the things that I have been used to doing for a long time... but I love him. I will do whatever I can to make us work."

"Are you telling me that you don't buy lottery tickets?" Carlisle asked.

Jake started laughing before I had a chance to answer.

"What the hell does that matter?" Jake asked him.

"She says she isn't interested in the money," Carlisle said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Voluntary taxation," I said.

"I beg your pardon?" Carlisle said.

"State lotteries are voluntary taxation," I said. "The small charity based lotteries, I support those from time to time, but not with the dream of winning anything, it's more to support the cause."

"Haven't you questioned her enough?" Emmett said, well it was more of a growl.

"For now," Carlisle said.

I looked at the contract in earnest now. There was not a lot that I would object to. I just wanted this out of the way, and if I never saw Carlisle Cullen again, it would be too soon.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you planning on signing?" Carlisle asked.

"I never sign anything I don't read thoroughly," I said.

"Fine," he said, huffing.

The first condition was a confidentiality clause. I couldn't profit from any information I learned during the course of our marriage, from Emmett, any other Cullen family member, or any associate of the Cullens. That was an easy condition to meet. I initialled happily.

Second was insuring that I didn't go after any property that was not owned jointly by Emmett and myself. Initialled.

There were a crap load of conditions on various accounts and holdings, which I initialled quickly. I was not interested in any money or holdings the Cullens had.

The third page was about what I would get. I nearly shut down. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted nothing. There was some lump sum payment, dependent upon the number of years we were married and some sort of allowance or something like that.

"When I said, I wanted nothing, I meant nothing," I said. "I don't want some damned allowance or cash payout. I am perfectly capable of supporting myself."

"Bella," Emmett said. "It's not..."

"Bells," Jake said. "If this goes wrong you are still going to have security needs. This whole thing is sticking you in the middle of a media shit storm. Please don't write off whatever they are writing there. You aren't ever going to get to go back to being just Bella again after this. Everything is changing, Baby Girl."

I looked at him and calmed myself down a bit.

"Plus you could just donate what you want to charity, or to open a free clinic," he added.

Jake always knew how to talk me down from a ledge.

I looked at Jake, frustrated. I shook my head but initialled the damned clause anyway. I was happy to see no mention of children and I quickly signed the paper, finalizing the whole damned affair.

"There," I said, handing the signed contract to Carlisle. "I assume your lawyers will need to sign as witnesses. Hell, have Jake sign too."

"Isabella..." Carlisle started to say. I didn't want to hear him.

"Can we just go, Emmett?" I asked, looking at him, and completely ignoring his father.

"Yes," Emmett said, caressing my face softly.

"Emmett," Carlisle called.

"Just leave it!" Emmett snarled at him. "I have nothing to say to you." He pulled his arm around me and led me out the door into the long hallway. I could hear Jake muttering to himself, not that I could make out many words. I got something about condescending and asswipe, but that was it.

"Son..." Carlisle tried again, having followed us into the hall.

"It's always about money to you," Emmett said, turning to face his father as we stood in the hall. "You didn't trust anything I had to say. I don't care how long I've known her, Dad. I am in love with her. She is my forever... and the way you have treated her is inexcusable. I came today to talk to you, to let you see what I see, but you are such a stubborn asshole that you wouldn't even try. Ask Ed, or Alice and Jasper, or even Mom. They see her for who she is. One of these days you are going to be sorry and feel like a complete ass for the assumptions you have made here, and maybe, just maybe, when you come grovelling at her feet, she may forgive you. I don't know that I will."

With that Emmett turned from his father and led us back the way we had come. I was fighting to control the tears that were threatening to escape. It was all too much! He shouldn't be fighting with his family because of me.

"Emmett!" Carlisle said.

"I am taking my wife home," Emmett said, not even turning to face his father. "I am sorry that I even tried. I told her that you were a reasonable man. Apparently, I lied."

Emmett's voice sounded rough, and I knew that he was on the verge of loosing it.

"Emmett, don't do this," Carlisle said.

"Enough, Carlisle!" Esme said, appearing out of nowhere. "Stop, please Emmett."

Emmett stopped and pulled me into his chest, as far from his father as he could possibly keep me. I placed my forehead against him and let him wrap his arms around me. I think he needed it as much as I did.

"Esme..." Carlisle started to say.

"No," she said, staring between Carlisle and Emmett. "You will listen to what I have to say! I have had enough! The way you have treated your daughter-in-law is worse than anything I have ever seen you do. You not only disrespected her, but you disrespected our son, too. We raised him to be a man who could make his own decisions, yet the first time he truly does, you overreact in the worst way. Did you talk to Edward about her? Or Alice? Or Jasper? Or did you just rush to make a judgement?"

"Esme, I..." Carlisle said, sputtering.

"I did! I talked to them. They have all spent time with her," she said. "And I haven't, because of you! You trust Emmett in the business world to judge people, often within moments of meeting them, yet you won't even give the woman he deemed worthy to marry a chance! What has she done wrong?"

"I..." Carlisle started to say, but his wife was having none of that.

"My God, Carlisle," she said. "Look at him. Look at them. They are in love. So they fell in love quickly, and in the most non-traditional way, but look at them. Isn't this what you want for him, for them?"

"Es..." he said, suddenly more defeated.

"All I will say, Carlisle Cullen, is that you better not have ruined MY chances to get to know my daughter-in-law," she threatened.

The room was quiet for a minute. I just let my head rest on Emmett as I turned and looked at Jake. Jake, the man who I called the drama queen, was stunned speechless by the drama unleashed today. I couldn't blame him, there was nothing I could say myself.

"Thank you," I said, looking at Emmett's mother, from my position in his arms.

"You have no need to thank me," Esme said to me. "I only hope you won't judge me based on my husband's stupidity."

"I won't," I said.

Carlisle slumped against a wall, dropping to the floor with his head in his hands.

"Well... this has been interesting," Jake said quietly.

Suddenly from somewhere in the house I heard Alice.

"Bella's here!" she squealed.

I looked up at Emmett, who just smiled at me softly.

Alice, Jasper and Edward all appeared simultaneously in the room.

"What's with all the long faces?" Edward asked.

When nobody answered immediately, Alice jumped to her own, correct, conclusion.

"What did you do now, Dad?" she seethed.

"I protected my family," he said. "At least I thought I was..."

"Maybe you should have done that with Rosalie," Alice huffed.

"Look," Carlisle said. "I realize I went to far, but it is my job to protect you all. Why do you think Edward and Rosalie's pre-nup was so long?"

"Not that it matters now," Edward said. "There will be no wedding."

"Is that really what you want?" Esme asked him.

"It is," he said looking at Emmett and I. "That's what I want."

"I beg your pardon?" Emmett said, holding me slightly tighter and glaring at his brother.

"Not your wife, you Moron," Edward said. "Although she is an incredible lady."

"I want to be in love. I saw the way you looked at her, even when you were so stunned that it was her standing there. I saw the way her eyes lit up as she talked about you and the way yours lit up just seeing her. Rose never did that for me. It was... comfortable, safe. I knew what to expect," Edward said.

"Yeah, the worst," Alice huffed.

I bit my lip and looked up at Emmett and smiled softly.

"Thank God that's done, though I can still feel a shit storm brewing," Esme said, the curse words sounding almost comical coming from her lips.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Mom!" Alice said as both Emmett and Edward whipped their heads in her direction.

"What?" she asked.

They were all silent.

"She's right," Jasper said. "Rose will not go quietly."

"What damage can she do?" Jake asked.

"Likely, she will create a media shit storm, filling all news outlets, and anyone else who will listen to her with lies, half truths, and innuendos. I don't know what she will say, but you can bet we'll need to be on the defensive soon. She'll probably try to unleash a lawsuit for defamation of character, for the embarrassment she suffered because the wedding was cancelled so close to the date," Jasper said, sighing unhappily.

"Why is she..." I started to ask. "so mean?" I finished off a little differently than I had planned.

"Rosalie is... tenacious," Esme said. "She gets what she wants, has since she was a little girl."

"My parents are not good people, Bella," Jasper said. "Maybe they were at one time. My mother is more interested in who she is seen with then anything else, my father lives for the next merger. Their name, as well as their money is going downhill fast. My father invested a great deal of money into some pharmaceutical companies, took control, then he cut a hell of a lot of quality control. When I saw that, I went to the boards. They wouldn't listen to what I had to say, and voted themselves a hefty pay raise with the profits. I couldn't stand the filth and I pulled out."

I looked at Edward briefly and he nodded his head, letting me know that I was likely thinking of the right drug.

"People started getting sick within a year and the FDA investigated, finding the drug dangerous. My father tied huge sums of money into this. His reputation suffered and so have the family finances, as the lawsuits will be into the billions of dollars. Rosalie and I were both set up with huge trust funds, but where I was careful and frugal with mine, Rose has continued to live as though nothing has changed. From a financial point of view, she has maybe a year left before she is broke. So, you see, Rosalie needed the security of the Cullen fortune, so she is desperate."

"Can't she just cut back?" I asked.

"Not if she can help it," he said.

"There are so many things I just don't get," I said.

"Like?" Edward asked.

"First, you seem like a perfectly nice and reasonable person. How did you wind up with Rosalie?" I asked, biting my lip, worried that I had overstepped my bounds.

"I don't think it was a matter of him choosing Rose," Alice said. "Edward is far more interested in books and music than anything else. Rose picked him and he was just too much of a gentleman to ditch her."

Edward blushed slightly.

"Look, I know you are all pissed at me, but we need to sit down and figure out what to do. I'll have Jane and Alec summoned immediately. Aro and Caius are staying to help out from a legal standpoint. Basically, we need a plan," Carlisle said.

"This is better than any soap opera," Jake said. "All I need is some popcorn."

I glared at Jake for his inappropriate comment, but everybody else laughed.

"I thought you said this place was drama free," Jake added.

"No, I said we try to keep the drama to a minimum," Emmett said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, Jane and Alec won't be here for at least an hour," Esme said, obviously in her element. "The cook is already working on dinner. It should be ready about then so make sure they are planning to eat here. I expect Aro and Caius to stay as well. Alice, Jasper, why don't you show Jacob around. Edward, I need your help in my office to cancel the last of the arrangements for Saturday. Emmett, why don't you show your wife the garden house... Maybe it will be to her liking."

With that, everyone took off in different directions, leaving Emmett and I in the main room.

"Wow," I said.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Honestly?" I said.

"Always," he smiled.

"Not really. This is all so foreign to me, Emmett. I am not used to all this. I lead a perfectly normal and boring life. I like quiet and privacy..." I said.

"I'm so sorry, Beautiful. I wish I could make this all go away. Let me show you what my mother was talking about. Are you up for a small hike, or should we take a car?" he said.

"Let's walk," I said.

We set off out the front door and turned to the left. Before long we were walking through massive manicured gardens.

"Wow," I said.

"My mother likes her gardens. These ones are maintained by gardeners but the wildflower garden is maintained by her," he said.

"It's beautiful here," I said.

"This place we are going to was the original house on the property. When I was a little boy I used to love to explore the place and anytime I didn't show up for dinner, my mother knew exactly where to find me. It was old and run down, but about five years ago, my mother started renovating it. When it was done she offered it to Alice. It is not Alice's taste at all. She likes everything modern," he said.

We walked around a bend and up a little hill. I smiled up at him as he spoke. He obviously loved this place.

"I told her that I wanted it, that it would be my sanctuary," he said, smiling at me.

"She was thrilled that someone wanted it and turned one of the bedrooms into an giant TV room for me. I don't often stay there, it's just too quiet, but this is where I came when I came back from Vegas," he said.

"I am so sorry, Emmett," I said for the millionth time.

"Don't," he said. "We are here, and we are together."

"Maybe your father wouldn't hate me as much if we hadn't been parted like that..." I said.

"I don't think that it's a case of him hating you," he said. "You are perfect. He is just being too stubborn to see that."

"I think you may be a little biased. I am far from perfect," I said.

"You are perfect for me. You are everything I could have asked for, had I ever thought to ask. I want you in every way, however you'll have me. If you wanted to move to Bora Bora and live in a hut, I'd pack my bags and learn to fish," he said, stopping us and pulling me into his arms. "I hate that all the sacrifice is on your part. You are giving up so much for me. Simply because you love me, you have reporters camped on the doorstep of your apartment building, you'll likely need the security guard to help you get into the hospital to work, you had to deal with my crazy ass father and stupid pre-nups..."

"I love you," I said. "I don't see myself as losing anything. We have hurdles that we are going to face together. Your dad needed to vent, mine may need to vent too. I don't think his venting will require lawyers, but it may involve firearms..."

"Guns?" he asked.

"He is a police officer," I said, smiling up at him.

"He wouldn't shoot me, would he?" he asked.

"Doubtful, he'll definitely threaten... He made my prom date cry and probably wet himself... so I went to my prom with Jake," I said.

"Will you think less of me if I squeal like a girl?" he asked, grinning at me. There are those dimples again. The man better not figure out that I am a sucker for those dimples anytime soon.

"Never," I said, kissing his lips that were suddenly right within my reach. "I'll even protect you."

"Will you?" he asked, scooping me up in his arms as he continued walking to the smaller stone house.

"Mmmhmm," I said, as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Let me show you the house," he said, his voice sounding huskier.

"Can we start with the bedroom?" I asked, my own voice sounding rather husky.

"Definitely!" he said, quickening his pace.


	6. Carlisle Has His Reasons

**CARLISLE'S POV**

Marrying a shrew! Seriously, I always thought that Edward would wise up and kick Rosalie's ass to the curb. No such luck. What the hell did my son ever see in her? Sure she was beautiful, she'd had enough plastic surgery to ensure that, but her personality was so toxic, it could cause chemical burns to anyone in close enough proximity.

I spent months with the legal team constructing the perfect pre-nup. I was certain that Rosalie would balk at all the terms and conditions, but I guess she never planned to divorce Edward, so it was almost unimportant to her.

Why couldn't the boy see that she was using him?

Emmett, Jasper, and a bunch of their friends decided to take him to Vegas for the weekend to celebrate. Celebrate? Sure he could celebrate his graduation from medical school or the completion of his residency, maybe even his return to Seattle, or his new job, but I wouldn't believe he was celebrating his last week of freedom. I couldn't accept that Rosalie would be a member of our family the next weekend. I wouldn't.

Sure, they tried to convince me to come, but I begged off, having too much to do at home.

If only they knew what.

I was meeting with the team that I'd hired to try to put an end to this farce. I prayed that the private investigators that I hired would have some news for me. Anything that would let my son see the truth about woman he was marrying.

Seven different guys, the best in the business, and they came up with nothing!

My hope had rested solely on one last man. James. No last name, no business card. He insisted that he not be put on retainer and that he would only charge me if he came up with something. That was rare. His fee was extremely high if he managed to find anything good; one hundred thousand dollars in unmarked bills. If he found anything to end this farce, I would gladly pay it. Hell, I would double it.

Sure, I had been a friend to the Hales for years, but as the economy started its downturn, they cut jobs, cut quality, and turned to highly unsavory business practices to keep their profits high. It was something I could not tolerate and our friendship began to drift apart.

Esme was thrilled. She had never cared for Kitty Hale. Esme spent hours volunteering to help various charities. She was happiest when she went unnoticed and the camera crews that constantly monitored us were nowhere in sight. Kitty Hale volunteered too, but only until the cameras left. For Kitty, it was all show, and Esme abhorred that.

The weekend had been a complete bust, and I found myself wishing, as I drove to pick them up, that I'd taken the time and just gone with them. The lear jet was just landing at the private airstrip as I arrived. There were a few limos, complete with driver, waiting for some of Edward and Emmett's friends. That was not us. Our limo was for very specific purposes, usually when our driver, and head of security would be needed.

I watched the boys all step off the plane, each shading their eye from the sun. Jasper, not my son by blood, but soon to be joined to us by marriage, was the first of my passengers to step off the plane. He wasn't hurting at all. Edward was up next, looking a little worse for wear. It was Emmett that surprised me. He looked destroyed and not in that I drank way too much kind of way. I knew that they had probably slept very little and drank way too much, but I had never seen Emmett look so... broken.

"Tell him, Em," Edward said as he settled into the back seat.

"Not happening, Bro," Emmett said, getting in next to Edward, leaving the passenger seat for Jasper.

"Emmett, is anything wrong?" I asked, concerned for my son. Emmett had always been independent. His mother and I joked that he was a miserable child until he could do things for himself, then it was magical, and that wasn't far from the truth. Anyone who knew Emmett knew he didn't fail, at anything, ever.

"Emmett, maybe he could help," Jasper said, turning to face Emmett.

I hadn't yet left the airstrip yet, and I turned to face Emmett as well.

"Son, you know I'll help you no matter what it is," I told him honestly.

"It's fine, Dad. I just need to go home and sleep," he said, glaring at the other two.

"Know that when you need to talk, I'll be here," I said, wondering what had gotten into my usually boisterous son.

"Thanks," he said before closing his eyes and leaning back in the seat.

Once we reached the estate, Jasper made a beeline for Alice, Edward practically fell into his bed, and Emmett headed straight to the garden house that had become his sanctuary. I expected to see him at the house the next day, but he didn't show, nor did he call. I went into the office for a few hours thinking he might be there, but he wasn't. When I got home, I asked Esme if he had been by or if she'd seen him.

"Not at all?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"I think I'm going to head over to the garden house, just to make sure he's okay," I said.

"I'll come, too," she said.

We strolled through the garden, arm in arm, and I thanked my lucky stars once again that I had her in my life, shuddering when I thought of the alternative.

Once we got to the garden house, it was dusk, yet there was not a single light on in the house.

"Are you sure he's here?" she asked.

"The Jeep is here, so I can't imagine where else he'd be," I said. "Maybe he's sick." At that my darling wife burst into the house. The thought of one of her babies being ill was too much for her.

"Emmett," she called out. "Are you here?" When she got no answer she dashed up to his bedroom. He wasn't there. I decided to try the lounge. That was his thinking spot, and that's where I found my son. He was wearing the same clothes that he wore when he stepped off the plane the day before, and he looked like he still hadn't slept. He barely moved as I walked over to him, dropping to my knees in front of him.

"Emmett, Son," I said. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

"That's horseshit," I said. "I bought that crap yesterday, but there is more to it."

"Emmett," Esme soothed, as she came into the room. "Darling what is it?"

Esme moved to his side and cradled his head against her chest. I watched my giant son just relax into his mother's hold, thankful that he had some comfort against what was bothering him.

"She just left, Mom," he said.

_She? She, who?_

"Who, Darling?" she asked.

"Bella," he said.

"Who is Bella?" she asked. "Have we met her before?"

"She's... she's everything, Mama," he said, looking at his mother, unshed tears in his eyes. I had never seen my son so broken up over a girl before.

"Tell me everything," she said, grabbing his hands and tugging him to the sofa where they could both sit. I followed at a distance, careful to let Esme take the lead here.

"I met her in Vegas..." he said.

Probably some showgirl! He better have been safe!

"She was incredible, Mom. Like nobody I've ever met before. She didn't swoon or hang on me. She didn't even seem to know who I was. Eddie tried to molest her and when I saw her, it was like BAM!" he said, mournfully.

"She was pretty?" Esme asked.

"More than that, Mom. She was beautiful and sexy... and her smile... I..." he said.

"She sounds wonderful," Esme said. My wife is always the romantic.

"She was. We left the club... and the chemistry, it was off the charts. Then we spoke, and it was like she spoke right to my soul!" he said, passionately.

"Oh, my darling," Esme said. "Where is she? Where is she from? Does she live in Vegas? When do I get to meet her?"

"One question at a time," I said, chuckling at my wife's enthusiasm.

"I don't know," he said.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I asked.

"It was incredible, Dad. If I could have written down everything I wanted in a girl she has it. She's smart and passionate. I..."

"You what?" I asked him.

"I asked her to marry me like four hours after we met," he said.

"You what?" I asked, feeling my pulse start to race as panic flooded my veins. I didn't like where this was heading.

"I just knew she was the one," he said.

"I've taught you better, Emmett!" I seethed as I clenched my hands together rhythmically.

He sat silently, as Esme smiled at me apologetically. She knew what I was feeling.

I watched Emmett, closely, noticing that he had something in his hand that he was fiddling with. I decided to look at what it was.

It was a ring, a platinum band from the looks of it... A wedding band.

"You didn't!" I said, staring at his hands that were now clenched around the band.

"I did," he said, looking up at me. "I knew I wanted her forever so we went to Tiffany's, bought rings and got a judge out of bed to marry us on the rooftop gardens."

"You're married?" Esme squealed excitedly, smiling at her son. How could she not see what a catastrophe this was?

"Yeah," he said. "We went back to the hotel and it was so incredible... but then..."

"What?" I asked. "Is she already demanding money?"

"No!" he said. "I woke up and she was gone. I figured that she would be back in a bit but she didn't come back."

"So call her! Tell her this was all a mistake and get an annulment. This was stupid and reckless. This could cost us millions," I seethed.

"I don't want an annulment," he said. "I want her."

"Where is she? Call her and figure this all out," Esme said. "I can't wait to meet her."

"That's the thing," he said. "You're going to have to."

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know her last name, or even where she's from," he said. "I called the judge that married us but he's already filed the paperwork and doesn't have a copy. It will take at least three weeks to get anything."

"You married someone you don't even know? How could you be so stupid?" I yelled, feeling the bile in my stomach churning.

"Could he tell you anything?" Esme asked, glaring at me.

"All he said is that he thought she was from Washington State and that her first name was truly Isabella, though she insisted upon being called Bella," he said sadly.

"What else do you know about her?" Esme asked.

I just listened; seething inside that my son would do something so reckless. I knew that this stunt was going to cost me millions. My mind wandered, as Esme soothed our son, to a time before I met her. When I was certain that I was in love, too. When I had been taken for a ride for the money, and had my heart ripped out of my chest. Now my son was in the same boat, and everything I had told him about being cautious was blown out of the water.

"She sounds incredible," Esme said, dreamily. "Maybe this is all some misunderstanding and it will all work out."

"And maybe we'll be receiving some lawsuit demanding hundreds of millions of dollars! Do you realize what this could cost us? How could you be so stupid?" I seethed.

"Carlisle!" Esme said, shooting daggers at me.

"You know what happened to me, Es!" I said. "You both know! Now you've gone and done the same damned thing! Now some little bitch is going to try to get rich because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants!"

"Do not talk about her that way!" Emmett yelled. "I know her! She isn't like that. She is good, and sweet, and honest!"

"Is she?" I yelled back. "Then where is she? Gone back to her boyfriend to laugh about taking you for a ride? Or maybe she's meeting with lawyers and financial advisors to decide what to do with all the money she stands to make!"

"Stop!" he said. "Please! I will take full responsibility for what I've done, but don't judge her until you know her. I know I wasn't wrong!"

"Hoodwinked," I said with a huff.

"Enough, Carlisle," Esme said, angrily. "Until we know more about this young lady, you will say nothing bad about her."

"Fine!" I said, "but you'd better be ready to go to the office tomorrow."

"Whatever," Emmett said, not even looking at me.

"I'll meet you at the house, Carlisle," Esme said dismissively.

I wandered back through the darkened gardens alone. My mind was flying a million miles a minute.

How could both of my sons be so blind?

Edward was marrying Rosalie, queen bitch, money grubber extraordinaire... and Emmett, marrying some little barfly in Vegas. How the hell could he do that?

When I got back to the house, I headed straight for my study. Emmett didn't have experience greasing wheels to get what he wanted. I did, and I knew that I would get her name sooner, rather than later, and when I did, I would pay a visit to this little seductress, have her sign annulment papers, and let Emmett get on with his life.

I knew just who to call.

"Marcus," I said, into the phone.

"Carlisle?" he asked. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Emmett," I said. "He went to Vegas and got married."

"Like father, like son," Marcus asked, in a subdued manner, though with Marcus, everything is subdued. "Who is she?"

"That's the issue," I said. "She was gone when he woke up and he doesn't know her last name. All he's been able to determine is that her name is Isabella and she may be from Washington State. She hasn't tried to contact us yet."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"You took care of things when I messed up with the Elizabeth issue," I said. "I need you to find out who she is so we can make this go away."

"This could still cost you millions, Carlisle," he said.

"The money is the least of my issue," I said. "I need to protect him. I know that we won't be able to keep this out of the press for long. His heartbreak could have an extra side of public humiliation."

"Are you certain she is like Elizabeth?" he asked. "Emmett has a good head on his shoulders."

"And I didn't?" I asked.

"You were young and naïve," he said. "Emmett has never been that. None of your children have."

"Then tell me why Edward is marrying that harpy on Saturday?" I said.

"I don't know, Carlisle," he said. "I wish we could have found something, but her father is covering faster than we can dig."

"We still have six days, I will hold out hope until the minister pronounces them husband and wife, that he will see the light," I said.

We all knew that Rosalie was not as sweet as she pretended to be with Edward. Too many times her sweet exterior had slipped in our presence and her true nature, exposed.

"Thanks," I said. "Call me as soon as you have anything at all."

"I will," he said.

I stood quickly and made my way to the bourbon that I had in a decanter by the wall. I grabbed that and a glass and sat down at my desk, thinking of the only other woman I had ever cared about.

I was nineteen when I met Elizabeth Hilton. She went to college with me, a scholarship student who had incredible brains, beauty and insight. She was the whole package, beautiful, and sweet. She was anything a nineteen year old boy could want, demure and proper when in public, but a real tiger once the doors were closed.

I had been a sheltered kid. Money was never an issue, but loneliness was. I rarely ever saw my parents as they were very much like Rosalie's parents, interested in seeing and being seen. I promised that I would never be that person.

My first time without governesses, nannies, maids, you get the picture, was when I went away to university.

I studied hard, burying my head in my books, and paying little attention to anything or anyone else; until I met Elizabeth. She was in one of my business classes and I was smitten by everything about her. She had a bell-like voice, long blonde hair that was artfully tied in a simple ponytail, sweet pink lips and a single dimple when she smiled. Her laughter made her blue eyes sparkle and you couldn't help but to join in. She was perfection.

It took me three weeks before I could even talk to her, and another three before I dared to ask her out. The first time I kissed her, I swore that angels sang. And sex... WOW!

Within a week of our first date, she had ingrained herself completely in my life. I loved it! I loved her. She knew my body better than I did, and the things she did would make a sailor blush.

After a month she moved in with me. Her apartment was tiny and unsafe. One night, after a date we came back and found it ransacked. I helped her pack what little she had left and moved her in. Life was perfect... until I came home one night after a late class and found her crying.

"What's wrong, Liz?" I asked her.

"My daddy is coming to visit," she sobbed.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" I asked, knowing that she spoke often of missing her family back on the farm in Montana.

"Oh, Carli," she sobbed, using the pet name that I would have killed anyone else for using. "He'll kill me for living with you out of wedlock."

"Why?" I asked.

"It's the one rule he insisted on," she sobbed. "He's going to drag me back to the farm."

What could I do? I loved her and the thought of her father being angry at her and forcing her to leave was terrifying to me. So I did the only thing I could, I dropped to one knee and proposed marriage.

"Really, Carli?" she asked, tears still fresh on her cheeks.

"Really," I nodded.

"When can we do it?" she asked.

"Whenever you want," I said, laughing as she threw her arms around me, hugging me fiercely.

"Tomorrow?" she asked, blinking her sparkling blue eyes at me.

"We'll go to the court house first thing in the morning," I said.

"But we need to get rings, and flowers, and oh, I need a dress," she said.

So the next morning we went to the jewellery store. I chose a simple gold band and allowed her to choose her own engagement and wedding set. She chose a two-carat ring, squealing in delight. Now that would set off alarm bells in my head, but then, I found it cute.

Then we went to find her a dress, and shoes, and undergarments... women's clothes cost far more than I expected. Finally, we went to the florist and Elizabeth chose out some fancy orchids, saying that they were her favorites. I never thought to ask how a farm girl from Montana even knew about orchids.

Then we went to the courthouse. It was signed, sealed and delivered in less than five minutes.

"Take me someplace special, Carli," she said.

So, after much debate, we ended up at the best restaurant in town. That was the first time I saw beyond the sweet farm girl I thought I'd married. She was rude and demanding to the servers, ordered the most expensive meal on the menu, and a bottle of their best champagne. I was stunned.

All was forgiven though, when we went back to the apartment and made love for the rest of the afternoon, and evening.

Daddy dearest showed up the next morning and promptly looked at his daughter's ring finger.

"Good job, Sweetie," he said, with a sick smile.

"Thank you, Daddy," she answered kissing his cheek.

"I'm going to need money for a hotel," was the first words he spoke to me.

My head was reeling.

"Where's your wallet, Carli?" Elizabeth asked.

"On the dresser," I replied, still stunned.

She went into the bedroom and returned quickly with a wad of bills, the entire contents of my wallet.

They say you never forget your first love... I won't.

"So are you knocked up yet?" he asked her as he counted through the money.

"Only time will tell," she answered, smiling sweetly.

"When will you know?" he asked, ignoring the fact that I was in the room.

"A week," she said.

Knocked up? What the hell? I sat at the table, listening to father and daughter talk. I finally came to the realization that she had set me up. My stomach rolled and churned, threatening to expel whatever was in it. I couldn't sit and listen anymore, so I decided to go for a walk.

"See you soon, Sweetheart," she cooed as I left.

What the hell had I done?

I walked to the nearest payphone and called my father. He was angry at first, then sympathetic.

"We need to ensure that there is no baby," he said. "Can you stay with her until you know?"

"I think so," I said.

"I'm sending Marcus to you," he said. "This will all be taken care of. I should have warned you better, Son. I should have protected you."

I went back home and played pretend with Elizabeth. Her sweet demeanor was increasingly getting worse and just making it through twenty-four hours was painful.

Marcus arrived on Sunday.

"Uncle Marcus," I greeted as he arrived at the door.

He wasn't my uncle, but had been a close family friend since my childhood.

"Oh, family," Elizabeth cooed. "It's so nice to meet you, Uncle."

"Elizabeth, is it?" Marcus said, scrutinizing my new wife with his eyes.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"Are you going to offer me a beverage?" he asked. I nearly laughed at the look on her face.

After fixing him a cup of coffee, she disappeared into the kitchen and called her father. He was at our door in ten minutes.

"Uncle Marcus," Elizabeth said, letting her pleasant facade slip. "This is my father, Mitchell Morrison."

"Pleasure," Mitchell said, obviously appraising Marcus.

"I wish I could say the same," Marcus quipped.

Marcus moved into the second bedroom in our apartment immediately, much to Elizabeth and her father's displeasure. Since he was right next door, I had a built in excuse to refrain from sexual relations, thank God, though she tried, bless her soul.

And exactly a week after our wedding, I got the best gift. I always thought it was weird that people referred to it as a woman's monthly gift. It certainly wasn't hers, but was mine. By the time she came out of the bathroom, Marcus had papers on the table for her to sign.

"You're done, Sweetheart," he said addressing her.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked. "Carli, are you going to let him speak to me that way?"

"Yeah, I am," I said. "You may want to call Daddy Dearest. I'm sure he'll want some part of this."

She did just that and he was at the apartment in five minutes.

"Here's the deal," Marcus said. "I know you realize that the Cullen family is worth a great deal of money, unfortunately for you, Carlisle is not."

"What do ya, mean?" her father asked.

"The company, holdings, everything is in Carlisle's parents' names. He has a trust fund of five hundred thousand. The apartment is even in his father's name," Marcus continued.

"So, then we want the five hundred thousand," he said.

"That is a no," Marcus said. "Little Lizzy has some secrets that she didn't want found, but we did."

"What do you mean?" her father asked.

Marcus slid an envelope across the table. I never asked what was on those papers and frankly I didn't care.

"You stupid, Bitch!" he said turning to his daughter.

"Daddy, I..." she started to say.

"Here's what we will offer," Marcus said, interrupting Elizabeth. "We will offer two hundred thousand dollars, but there are conditions."

"Such as?" her father said. "She gets twenty five thousand a year for eight years, provided she does not contest the annulment, and that she keeps her mouth shut."

"Then we go to court. I'm sure a judge will take pity on the poor farm girl from small town Montana that was wooed and used by the big powerful millionaire," he said.

"Since when is Billings a small town?" Marcus asked, patting the next envelope. "You moved to Grass Range a month before she came to school here. She is no farm girl at all, especially since you don't even work your own farm but rent a house on the farm property. According to your landlord, you don't work at all."

"I..." her father started to say, getting very red in the cheeks in either anger or embarrassment.

"I can prove the lies and deception that were perpetrated by your daughter and yourself, Mr. Morrison," Marcus said. "It is very likely that a judge will see that and give you nothing. However, Mr. Cullen would like to keep this out of the media and will offer you one hundred thousand dollars, twenty five thousand a year for four years, to keep both of your traps shut. If this gets out, we can and will sue you."

"Daddy!" Elizabeth said. "You said I would be rich forever!"

"Shut it, Liz," he said.

"I want my house and cars and everything you promised. You told me I'd never have to work," she said.

"And we're annulling the marriage, not a divorce?" he asked, obviously looking at another angle.

"Precisely," Marcus said. "It will be as if it never happened."

"She keeps the ring?" he asked.

"I sure as hell don't want it," I said, venomously.

"Carli?" she asked, looking at me, tears welling in her eyes.

"My name is Carlisle," I said, venom in every word.

"I thought you loved me?" she whispered.

"Which you?" I asked. "The you that was sweet and kind to everyone, or the you that scammed me into marriage and tried to get knocked up without my knowledge. The one that was rude to people because suddenly you had money?"

"I..." she said. "It was all my daddy's idea. I didn't want to, Carli. I love you. I do." She broke into tears at that point, sobbing as she wiped at her eyes.

"I don't believe you anymore," I said which made her cry even more.

"What about the apartment?" her father asked, completely unmoved by his daughter's tears.

"It belongs to his father. She can stay until the end of the month," Marcus said.

"Two hundred thousand?" her father asked again.

"One hundred thousand. In two minutes it will go down again," Marcus said.

"Fine," he said. "Sign their papers, Lizzy."

"But, Daddy?" she said in a plaintive voice.

"It's over," he said to her.

"Carli?" she asked, looking at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Is this what you really want?"

"Yes," I said.

"Oh, okay," she said, taking the pen from Marcus' outstretched hand.

She signed the papers where he told her to, and placed the pen down.

"Let's just go, Daddy," she said.

"We need to talk money first," he said. "You get your bags."

"Go for a walk, Carlisle," Marcus said. "I'll see you in an hour."

An hour later I returned to the apartment and she was gone. Marcus smiled and shook my hand.

"Let this be a lesson, Carlisle," he told me. "Marry within your class. You never know when a gold digger lurks in your midst."

He walked out then and I was left to wander through my empty apartment.

It wasn't really empty, in fact it looked exactly the same as it had before I met Elizabeth, but it felt cold and barren.

I never saw Elizabeth again. I transferred schools at the beginning of the next semester and met Jonathan Platt. We became fast friends.

I told him all about Elizabeth and everything I had gone through with her. He told me that I should meet his sister.

I met Esme Platt about two weeks later. She was absolutely lovely, and nothing like Elizabeth. I took her to the country club and watched as she treated the wait staff with the same care as she treated her father's business associates and her friends.

When I brought her home that night, she invited me to sit with her in her garden. I did. We talked until the sun came up. She told me about her past relationships and I told her about Elizabeth. I knew for a fact, when I kissed her goodbye that morning, that she was good through and through.

We both moved the relationship at a slower pace than either of us had previously, knowing we were building something greater than both of us had experienced before. Six months after our first date, I asked her father for her hand. He agreed and that night I dropped to one knee and placed my grandmother's engagement ring on her finger.

The wedding was grand and as I watched Esme walk down the aisle on her father's arm, I knew that I was where I was supposed to be. Within four years of our wedding, we welcomed our first child, Emmett, and I vowed that he would never face the heartache that I had faced.

Yet, now, here we were.

It was Elizabeth all over again.

Esme did her best to soothe me when she returned from taking care of our son; she knew that I would be taking it hard.

"I didn't protect him, Es," I said.

"Carlisle," she soothed. "You can't stop him from making mistakes. He didn't go into this blind. You told him of the dangers, you shared your experience, and I know that was hard for you. He fell in love and asked her, he wasn't coerced into it. She was reluctant, but went along with it. His mistakes are his own."

We talked well into the night before Esme said something that I never expected to hear.

"I want you to look for her," she said.

"Bella?" I asked. "I've already started that."

"Not, Bella," she said softly.

"What?" I asked, looking at her.

"I want you to find Elizabeth," she said.

"Why?" I asked. "What good could that do?"

"You need closure, Carlisle," she said. "You need to hear from her, once and for all, what happened."

"I am happy with you," I said, looking into her beautiful green eyes. "I can't imagine one day of my life without you."

"Nor, I you, my Darling," she said, kissing me tenderly.

"I love you," I said, returning the kiss.

"As I love you," she replied.

We finally fell asleep early Tuesday morning, after I placed a call to the office to let them know I wouldn't be in for the day. It was early afternoon before we were up and ready to begin the day, and I was anxious to call Marcus and find out what he knew. That call was delayed by a call to my personal cell phone.

"Hey, Dad," the excited voice of my second son said.

"Hi, Edward," I said. "How is the first day in the trenches?"

"It's great," he said. "They have top notch facilities, great nurses, and I am shadowing a wonderful doctor, who has been nothing but nice."

"Sounds great, Son," I said.

"One of the nurses that I am working with today suggested that I invite you all down to see the place. I thought that was a great idea. What do you say?" he asked.

"Is that allowed?" I asked.

"He said it would be no issue at all. He is a friend of the doctor I am shadowing and since it isn't too busy today it would be the best time. Dr. Swan is great and the facility is top notch. It's exactly the fit I was looking for," he said. "I really want you all to meet her."

"Her?" I asked, teasing my son. "How old is this Dr. Swan?"

"Dad! She's my age, but it's not like that," he warned, tired of my meddling in his relationship with Rosalie. "Dr. Swan is a colleague."

"Fine," I huffed. "Let me ask your mother."

I turned to Esme, who was sitting with Alice and Jasper and asked her. She agreed quickly, as did the kids.

"Looks like we're in, as well as Alice and Jasper," he said.

"I'll call, Rose. Can you call, Em? I doubt he's in the mood for this after..." he said.

"I know about the Vegas wedding," I said.

"Thank God!" he said, as Jasper looked up in surprise.

"Wedding?" Alice asked, looking between Jasper and me.

"I have to go," I told Edward. "We'll see you in an hour or so."

"Tell, Em that I'd really like to see him here," Edward said.

"I'll try," I said. "Bye, Son."

"See you soon, Dad," he replied.

The next twenty minutes were spent talking to Alice and Jasper about what had happened in Vegas and I could feel my chest getting tight again.

"Why didn't you say anything to me, Jasper?" Alice asked.

"I promised, Emmett," Jasper said, looking at her rather plaintively. "It's been killing me."

"I thought you were feeling guilty about watching strippers," she said, causing Jasper to blush.

"What about Rose? Does she know?" Esme asked Jasper.

"No," he said, looking rather scared. "Edward and I agreed not to tell her anything either."

"We can't say anything to Rose until after the wedding," Alice said. "She'll freak, and I want nothing to do with that!"

"I agree," my lovely wife agreed.

"I don't talk to her unless I have to," Jasper muttered. "And I value my manhood too much to risk telling her something like that."

"Let's go get, Emmett," Alice said, looking a little fierce.

"Sure thing," I said.

We all made for the back door for the short walk to the garden house. I could tell by Alice's demeanor that she was going to have words with Emmett. I honestly hoped that she wasn't too harsh.

I wasn't prepared for her reaction.

"Em!" she hollered as she saw him. "Tell me all about her. She has to be pretty incredible to have captured your heart so quickly!" I was stunned! Hadn't I raised the kids to be cautious? What was going on? I sat pondering that while Emmett filled his tiny sister in on all he knew of Bella.

"It's like Cinderella," she sighed, romantically.

"Alice," I warned.

She giggled. "All we need to do is find the girl who fits your glass slipper," Alice cheered. With a little cajoling, we had Emmett ready to join us. We thought that Rose would meet us at the hospital if she was so inclined, but we were surprised to find her sitting in the formal living room.

"My first full Cullen family activity," she squealed. "I'm so excited."

"I'm taking my Jeep," Emmett said, not acknowledging Rosalie at all.

"Shotgun," Jasper called after him.

"I'll sit in the back," Alice said.

"What car are we taking, Carlisle?" Rose asked excitedly. "Maybe we should take the limo."

"We'll take the Mercedes," I said. "We don't want to make a spectacle in front of the hospital, Rosalie."

"Perfect," the blonde Barbie said, though her voice showed that it was anything but perfect. We made our way out to the cars and I saw Esme shooting daggers with her eyes at the kids for having ditched us with our possible future daughter-in-law. **Possible!** I was not giving up hope that one of my investigators would find something that would make Edward call off the wedding. I had to believe that for my sanity; for all of our sanities.

Once we were in the cars, Emmett roared off at break-neck speed. I will admit to taking the curves in our road a little rougher than normal to see Rosalie bounced around a little in the back seat. She actually clutched the seat for dear life, probably worried that her hair would be out of place or something. Like that would kill her... _Hmmm... Maybe water would do the trick!_

"I can't wait to see where Eddie is working," Rosalie said. "I bet he'll be chief of staff in no time."

"Actually," Esme said. "He would hate that title. Too much politics and not enough work, down in the trenches." I could see that she was biting her tongue. Did Rosalie really not know anything about what Edward wanted or liked?

"He says that now, but Eddie is a take charge guy. He'll be rising through the ranks at the hospital before you all know it," Rosalie said, rather smugly.

"Actually..." I started to defend Esme, completely pissed that Rosalie had just discounted Esme's knowledge of the situation, until she put her hand on my arm and shook her head. I knew she was right that I would be fighting a losing battle, trying to convince Rosalie that our son was happy with the simple life of a doctor. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he started volunteering for extra shifts, staying away from HER for more hours. I know I would be! _Please, Edward, see the light!_

Rosalie chatted away about more wedding details the whole rest of the trip. I don't think she even noticed that Esme and I were not participating in the conversation, let alone listening. I actually think that she was just talking to hear the sound of her own voice.

When we pulled up to the hospital, Emmett and Jasper were leaning up against the Jeep. Alice was leaning against Jasper, not wanting to get dirty, I guess. How two siblings could be so different... Jasper and Rosalie were as different as they come; the only similarity being their blonde hair. After that they were as different as night and day.

"Let's go," Rosalie said. "I'm sure Eddie is missing me. Maybe he can get off early and take me out somewhere. I dressed up so we could be seen."

I will not blow up! I will not blow up! 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6... Was she really that stupid?

"I'm sure it doesn't work that way, Rose," Emmett said. "People's lives depend on him doing his job."

I smiled at my son's comment. Maybe he was over his temporary depression about this Bella girl. Once we reached the floor, we all stepped out of the elevator. Rosalie, of course, strode out first. She looked around like there would be a sign directing us to Edward's whereabouts. Actually, it wasn't needed. I saw him deep in conversation with another doctor. I couldn't hear what they were saying, and didn't know if we should interrupt. Emmett decided to take the lead.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen," he said, quite loudly.

"Emmett," Edward called, smiling happily at us.

I saw the girl's back stiffen slightly, probably overwhelmed that more "Cullen's" were there. At least that was what I figured, until I heard Emmett's next words.

"I wasn't talking to you, Ed," Emmett said, his voice far from his normal relaxed state. "I was talking to my WIFE."

Oh shit! I stared in amazement at the young lady that had been talking to Edward. She was obviously a doctor; by the looks of things it was the Dr. Swan that Edward had referred to, but now she had another name Bella; my _daughter-in law_. What was her game? Was she working the angles on another Cullen in case things didn't go well with the first? Was the whole meeting a set up? Maybe she was aware that Edward was going to be in Vegas and since she couldn't land him…

The brunette spun to face Emmett, her face completely shocked.

"Your wife?" Rosalie screeched. "How the hell do you have a wife?"

"Emmett," the brunette said, looking up at my son, with a mixture of fear and relief.

"Rosalie," Edward said, trying to calm Rosalie.

The brunette, Bella, bit her lip nervously as she looked between Emmett and Rosalie. I guess she wasn't ready for the jig to be up yet, trying to line up my next son as her back up plan in case things didn't go the way she wanted with Emmett.

"Who the hell is she, Edward?" Rosalie snapped.

"This is Dr. Swan," Edward said, looking between his brother and his fiancée.

"No," Emmett said, his voice dangerously low. "This is my wife. Hello, Bella."

I looked at my son, and smiled to myself. At least he was ready to fight. He wasn't going to let her take him for a ride with her innocent looking, big, brown, doe eyes. He was finally heeding my advice.

Rosalie, of course, butted in and started bitching at the woman, flashing all sorts of untrue allegations. Before I knew what was happening, Bella had given as good as she got from Rosalie, turning away from the blonde bitch with disdain_. I will say that she has a lot of gumption! _Rosalie was not taking being dismissed so easily, lunging forward and grabbing a handful of Bella's hair. Edward and Emmett jumped in and pried Rosalie off of her.

"Touch me again and I will file assault charges," Bella hissed at Rosalie, threatening to have her banned from the hospital for good measure. My head was swimming as I was watching everything unfold, until my eyes landed on Edward. He was staring at Rosalie in complete horror as she unleashed her usual attitude on the young doctor.

"Rosalie," Esme hissed at her. "Get a hold of yourself, or get out of here. You will not make a scene at Edward's workplace."

"Yes, Ma'am," Rosalie said, still moving towards Bella. "I don't have anything further to say to her. She's nothing but a money-grubbing whore and she needs to be put in her place like the white trash that she is!"

Edward's eyes were the size of saucers and I prayed he was seeing what we all saw. Maybe then he would put an end to the gigantic farce of a wedding that was supposed to be mere days away.

A huge native man, wearing a set of scrubs with cartoon characters on them, came out of the unit doors, scowling at the commotion.

"What seems to be the problem out here?" he asked in a menacing tone that did not match the image he was portraying.

"It's fine," Bella said, harshly, not taking her eyes off of Rosalie. _Good move!_

"You," Emmett said to the man. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," the man replied, sounding much more like the diva he appeared to be.

"What kind of sick mind-fuck is this?" Emmett asked quietly. I guess he knew this guy, too.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bella asked angrily.

"Look," Emmett said to her, harshly I might add. "We need to talk!"

"No kidding," she said, letting her eyes roam over the rest of us.

"Hey, Baby Girl," the native guy said to her, quietly. "Why don't you use the doctor's lounge?"

She nodded and grabbed onto his hand. The look that passed between them was almost intimate. He must be her co-conspirator in this plot. They would both be going down.

"Fine," Emmett said.

"I'll get Watson up here for the clinic, Baby Girl," he said to here again.

"Thanks Jake," she said, looking visibly shaken. _Good! She should be quaking in her boots. Not often that a girl has to go up against a whole family!_

"Sorry," the man said, looking rather guilty. This must be the nurse that Edward said told him to invite us. I bet he thought we'd be too busy to come and that Emmett would come alone. Sunk his plans, didn't we!

"This was you, wasn't it?" she asked him and I could see the tears starting to swim in her big brown eyes. I had to remind myself that she was the enemy. She seduced my son and coerced him to marry her so she could access the Cullen money.

"I might have suggested that Edward invite his family up to see the hospital..." he said.

"You had no right, Jake," she said, in almost a whisper. "I would have handled this on my own and in private, not for the whole hospital to hear. This isn't over."

"Sorry, Baby Girl," he said again. "I thought it would be more pleasant..."

"Quit meddling," she said.

He simply nodded at her and turned to leave. She led all of us to the lounge and I watched as Rose pushed past her rudely. I hopped Edward was still watching all this. If he married this harpy, this is what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life.

"So how much is this going to cost me?" I asked the little brunette, cutting right to the chase.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, looking at me like she had no clue what I was talking about. The dumb blonde routine did not suit the pretty brunette doctor.

"I'm not a stupid man," I said. "Give me a number."

"Dad," Emmett and Edward said to me in unison. I guess they felt I had gone too far. As far as I was concerned, I hadn't gone far enough.

"Look, I really don't know what you expect me to say," she said, looking completely clueless.

"You're a doctor for fuck's sake. Don't think I am a stupid man. Tell me how much you want to end this stupidity quietly," I said to her, letting her know I wasn't buying into her stupid act.

"You think this is about money?" she asked.

"I know this about money," Rosalie said, needing to get her two cents in. The blonde bitch couldn't stand not being the center of attention for two minutes.

"You know what," Bella said turning to glare at Rosalie. "I don't know who the hell you are, and I really don't care to find out. You are a loud and annoying shrew and if you don't shut the fuck up, I will have you removed from the premises permanently. So I recommend you zip it!"

"Rosie," Edward threatened, pulling her to the side.

"Now, why the hell would I want money from you?" she asked, glaring at me. She looked like a pissed off kitten. She had no clue what I had in my arsenal.

"How much did you get for the rings?" Emmett asked, interrupting us.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"When you pawned the rings, how much did you get?" he asked her, a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes.

"You know what," she said, big crocodile tears coursing down her cheeks. "I don't know who any of you are, except for Edward, who I met briefly in Vegas and then worked with today, and Emmett, who I happened to marry when I was drunk. The rest of you... I don't..."

"What kind of fool do you think I am? Everybody knows us," I said, completely fed up with her dumb act.

"Well, apparently I'm a nobody, because I have no clue who any of you are," she said. "For fuck's sake, I didn't even know your last name until I saw Edward at the hospital today."

_Yeah, right!_

"As for your rings," she said reaching up behind her neck to unfasten a necklace. "They're right here. I figured that once I figured out who you were and found you that I would return them to you if that was what you wanted."

She placed the obviously expensive rings and chain down on the table.

_Nice gesture. She was a great actress._

"As for money," she said, glaring between Emmett and I. "I don't need any. I have my job and a place to live. I don't need anything else. Now excuse me, I have been threatened, intimidated, embarrassed and humiliated enough for one day. Emmett, draw up whatever papers you need for annulment or divorce or whatever. I don't want a fucking penny from any of you. But if you really want to give me something, you can all get the hell out right now so I can try to regain some composure and scrape together enough dignity to finish the next fourteen hours of my shift."

_What was her game? How was this scam supposed to work if this is what she was doing?_

"Maybe we should let Emmett and Bella have some time," Edward said, quietly.

_Of course! She didn't want the divorce, just like Elizabeth, and Rosalie, for that matter. Divorce left her with far less money than being married would. She was playing to Emmett's sympathy. I would make sure THAT didn't work! _Esme grabbed my hand and started pulling me from the room. I wanted to warn Emmett, who looked absolutely broken, seeing her crying like that. It brought me right back to the sick feeling that I had had in the pit of my stomach when Elizabeth was crying in the kitchen while Marcus and her father talked about the annulment of our marriage.

Once we were in the hall, Edward pulled Rosalie aside, standing a ways away from the rest of us.

"So that's her," Alice said. "She certainly is beautiful. Do you think she really had no clue who we were?"

"Everyone knows us," I asserted again.

"She seemed sincere, Carlisle," Esme said. "My heart just broke watching the tears stream down her face. The poor darling didn't deserve that."

"She did deserve that," I said vehemently. "Look what she did to our son!"

"She said she didn't want any money though, Dad," Alice said. "If the game was up, why wouldn't she just take what she could and get out?"

"She doesn't want a little bit, obviously. She is greedy. She wants access to all of it, like Rosalie," I said, motioning to Rose and Edward. He looked extremely displeased with her, thank God!

"I don't know, Carlisle," Esme said. "She was stunned to see us. She obviously wasn't expecting this and she carried his rings on a chain around her neck, just as he carries hers."

"What are you saying?" I asked her. "You think this is legit?"

"I don't know. But I do know that you attacking her does nobody any good," she said.

"What do you think, Jasper?" I asked my quiet son-in-law-to-be.

"Rosalie is a bitch," Jasper said, shaking his head. "But this girl seemed real. I could almost feel her heartbreak."

"Yeah, sad because her game is almost up," I snorted. "You know what people are capable of. Do you think it was easy for me to tell you all about her? I did it to protect you guys."

"Just because you met one charlatan, one wolf in sheep's clothing, doesn't mean everyone is," Alice said. "What if she is really as genuinely sweet, as Emmett says she is? What if he decides to stay married to her and she becomes the mother to your grandchildren?"

"If she proves that she is trustworthy, then I will amend my thinking," I said.

"And what if that's too late, Carlisle?" Esme asked. "What if she hates us and refuses to be anywhere near us?"

"She'll understand why I had to do what I did, then," he said.

"No, I don't think she ever will," Alice said. "She isn't like us. Maybe you broke her. Maybe she is exactly what Emmett wants and needs and maybe she will tell him that she can't even try with him because of you... and Rose."

"Carlisle, she is our first daughter-in-law," Esme said. "She seemed like someone I could love... unlike..."

"What would you guys have me do?" I asked, looking between them.

"Give her a chance," Alice said. "If she proves unworthy, Emmett will toss her to the curb."

"I can't, Alicat," I said, using her childhood pet name. "I can't see him have to deal with the disappointment and heartbreak as I did."

"He already is," she said. "Can't you see how deep his feelings for her already run? He was almost crying in there, Dad. He loves her and no matter what and who she is, you need to respect that, or you risk losing him."

"Carlisle," Esme said, tears drifting down her cheeks.

"We won't, Es," I said.

Rosalie and Edward re-joined us, and I could tell from her scowl that she wasn't happy.

"You need to back the hell off of Bella, Dad. She is sweet and kind. She isn't any of the things you just accused her of," he said.

"You've known her for a few hours and you are qualified to judge?" I asked.

"Look she was a class valedictorian. She obviously had to work hard to get there. She is a good person. That nurse, Jake, has been friends with her since they were babies. She is an honest person with a great heart. Watching you attack and try to destroy that..." he trailed off.

"Edward, she was just lining you up as a backup." Rosalie said. "If Emmett tries to annul their marriage, she'll be all over you."

"No, she won't, Rose," Edward said. "She isn't like that. If Emmett decides to annul their marriage, it will break her. I could see that."

"Edward..." I said, but I was interrupted from my next words by the doors opening to the lounge. Bella arrived first, followed by Emmett, who had his hand on the small of her back, as he glared at Rose and me. Both of their eyes were red-rimmed and if I didn't know that she was the devil incarnate, I would almost feel bad for her.

I scowled at her, letting her know that she hadn't swayed me.

"Well," she said, quietly, pulling away from Emmett slightly. "I need to get back to work, so bye... and I'll see you tomorrow, Emmett."

She practically ran off, not waiting for any of us to say anything.

"Emmett," I said in a warning tone.

"Not here, Dad," he said. "You were so out of line with her."

"Emmett," I said. "You've never met someone like her before. You don't know how sweet they can be one minute and the next it's demanding, they change completely."

"That's just it," Emmett said. "Nothing has changed, other than the fact that I didn't defend my wife from you. No matter what, she didn't deserve that. You treated her worse than Bill Elliot, who was caught red handed embezzling from us."

"Emmett, you are my son and I will protect you from people like her," I said.

"People like her? You mean good, honest, hard-working people?" he said. "People that would give someone the shirt off their own backs?"

"You've been hoodwinked into thinking that," I said.

"You know," Emmett said. "I am done with you. You have allowed yourself to live with the betrayal that you suffered when you were young. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not downplaying what that did to you, but you need to move on at some point. Don't see everyone as a threat. I can deal with my own affairs where Bella is concerned."

"You are acting so stupid!" I declared.

"Jazz, Ali," Emmett said to his sister and friend. "Please find another ride home, I need some time."

"Emmett," Esme said, calling after our son as he dashed for the stairs, not waiting for a response or acknowledging his mother's call.

"You are going to drive him away, Dad," Edward said. "He loves her, and when you love someone, you will not stand for people saying bad things about them."

"Yet, you allowed her to badmouth me," Rosalie sneered.

"That was deserved," Edward said to her. "I have never seen you like that, Rose."

_Please, let him kick her to the curb!_

"Look, I am staying until the end of her shift," he said. "Ali, Jasper, why don't you two take my car. I'll call you when I'm off, Rose, and we can make plans from there."

"You expect me to be at your beck and call?" Rosalie asked, glaring at him.

"No, I don't expect," he said to her. "I was just hoping to have some time with my fiancée before the wedding."

"Oh, I could probably do that," she said, backtracking into her previously sweet demeanor.

"Thank you," he said kissing her chastely, the only way I'd ever seen them kiss.

"Jasper, Alice," she said sweetly to them. "Will you drive me back to the house so I can get my car?"

"I guess," Alice said, taking the keys from Edward. "I'm driving."

"Shotgun," Jasper said.

"You are so immature," Rose said, following them to the elevator.

As the doors closed around them, I turned to Edward.

"That is the Rosalie we all see, all the time," I said.

"Dad!" he warned. "Not enough to try to ruin one son's marriage? You have to try to prevent the other! Now, I am going to go join Dr. Swan for the rest of my shift and hope that the hospital doesn't freak out about this confrontation involving MY family."

"Son," I said.

"NO more, Dad," he said, walking away from me.

We watched as he walked in the direction that Bella Swan had gone. All I could think is that knowing her last name was going to make the investigation much easier, and how I could contact our lawyers and get Emmett out of his marriage way sooner than I had been able to with Elizabeth. I guess we'd have to worry about pregnancy with her too.

Esme was apparently having other thoughts.

"Carlisle, you need to lighten up. What's done is done and we need to concentrate on Emmett. He seems happy with her. Who are we to destroy it?" she said.

I nodded my head, not wanting to get into it anymore. I walked with her to the elevator and made my way to the lobby. Nobody could convince me to give Bella Swan a chance. The pretty, naïve doctor was too much like Elizabeth. She may not have blue eyes and blonde hair... But I would stop at nothing to get Bella Swan out of my son's life for good.

It was all I could do for him. He would not be destroyed as I had been.


	7. Dr Bella Cullen

We lay together in his bed as his hand gently moved up and down my spine.

"That feels nice," I said.

"I love having you here," he said. "It feels right."

"I can't stay here, Emmett," I said, looking up at him. "He hates me, he's proven that. I did everything he wanted and still he hated me."

"I won't defend him. He has acted like a first class prick and for that I may never forgive him," he said. "He has reasons and excuses... None of them matter one iota to me. You are my priority and if he can't accept that then it's his loss. As for where we live, I don't care. We could stay at your place or mine; hell we could buy our own place or build a home together. It's you and me, Bella; that's all that matters."

"I love you," I said, kissing his neck.

"If you keep doing that we'll never make it back to my parents' place," he growled softly.

"Ummm, incentive," I purred.

He laughed but I could feel his body reacting to mine.

"Question first," he said, pulling back slightly. "It was about something that was said with my father."

"What question?" I asked as I nipped playfully at his chest.

"Name... Did you want to keep Swan, or would you consider taking my name, in spite of my father's stupidity?" he asked.

"I have never had any real affinity to remaining a bird forever," I said.

"So you'll take my name?" he growled sexily.

"If you want me to," I replied.

"Oh, I want you too," he said rolling us so I was underneath him.

"Dr. Isabella Cullen... sounds nice," I said as he kissed and nipped at the skin of my neck.

"Dr. Isabella Cullen," he growled as he moved down my body. "My wife."

"My husband," I groaned as he kissed across the flat plain of my stomach. "The caveman."

"You bet," he growled moving even lower.

"Oh God, Em," I cried as he moved lower, his hot breath moving against my most sensitive areas.

"I love it when you call my name," he growled against my skin. "I want you to do it everyday of forever."

He brought his face down deeper into my sensitive folds.

"Emmett," I cried as he moved against me, my hands grasping at the sheets at my side.

He growled hungrily against me.

"Please, Emmett," I begged. "I need you. I need you now!"

He moved up my body as I writhed desperately beneath him, needing to be joined with him again.

"I love you, Bella," he said huskily. "More than I ever thought possible."

He moved so that I could feel his length against where I wanted it the most.

"Please," I begged again.

He didn't make me beg again as he claimed me as his once more. I locked my legs around his hips as he moved against me, moving with him.

"Bella," he cried out as I felt myself move towards the edge.

"Please, Emmett," I said, no clue what I was actually begging for.

Our thrusts became frantic as we moved towards our goal together and I finally felt myself let go; my release triggering his. He rolled us to our sides, as we came down from our highs together.

"We're late," he smirked, as soon as his breathing returned to normal.

"Oops," I said, feigning innocence.

"I guess we need to shower again," he said.

"Ummm, water conservation?" I asked with a cheeky grin.

"No way, Woman," he growled. "We'll never get there, and then my mom would come looking for us, and as much as I enjoy seeing your naked body, that's for me and me alone."

"Fine," I sighed dramatically as I pulled away and hopped out of bed.

I shook my little butt as I made my way across his room to the bathroom. I had never been that comfortable in my own skin before. I enjoyed the fact that he was watching me. I got into the bathroom and looked at the huge shower enclosure.

"Your shower would be much more comfortable that mine," I called out to Emmett.

"We'll explore it later," he promised.

"I'm going to hold you to that," I said, listening to him chuckle in response. I quickly tied my hair back, knotting it together so it didn't get too wet.

I looked at the shower, searching for the knob to turn it on. I found nothing. Five shower heads and not one damn knob.

I grabbed a shirt that he had hanging off the back of the door and returned to the bedroom.

"I have no clue how to even turn that on," I said to him.

He laughed heartily and jumped out of bed.

"You look positively sinful in my clothing, Mrs. Cullen," he growled, scooping me up in his arms and dashing back to the bathroom.

He set me on my feet in front of the shower and opened a little panel door inside the shower that I hadn't even noticed. He pressed a few buttons and the shower started up.

"Come on," he said, pulling the shirt off me and tugging me into the shower with him. "Let's keep this PG and get this parental stuff over with."

We certainly didn't manage PG, but it didn't get a triple X rating either. As we stepped out he handed me a large towel to wrap up in.

"Wherever we end up," I said. "We need that exact shower."

He laughed but I could see the agreement in his eyes. We returned to the bedroom and began searching for our clothing. I managed to find most of my clothes, with the exception of my shoes and my shirt which I had lost on the way up to the bedroom.

"I guess I need to find my top," I said, standing at the door.

"You'd better get dressed or we may not make it for dinner at all," he said.

I smirked and pulled open the bedroom door, coming face to face with Carlisle Cullen.

"Oh my God!" I said, slamming the door in his face.

"Bella?" Emmett asked.

"Your dad!" I said, covering myself up.

Emmett tossed me one of his shirts to put on and flung the door open angrily.

"What are you doing here?" he asked his father.

"I..." his dad said, looking rather sad. "I came to talk to your wife."

"Absolutely not," Emmett growled. "I think you have done enough damage with her. If you think I am going to give you another chance to insult her or degrade the choices that we have made together then you are crazier than I thought."

"Please, Emmett," he said, sounding almost helpless. "You know why this is so hard on me."

"Do I?" he asked. "Do I really? You know what you felt in that situation. Do you know what she felt? Do you know anything about why? You never even took the time to get her side of the story. Maybe it was all that it seemed and maybe it wasn't."

"What do you know about anything?" Carlisle asked him, confusing the hell out of me.

"I know that if Bella had taken that check and signed the papers, I would have been on her doorstep still. I know that if she refused to sign your damn pre-nup that I would have loved her anyways. I would have begged her to give me a chance to be what she wanted and needed because I love her more than anything else," Emmett said. "I know that when you attacked her, it hurt me more than anything else ever, and yet you were able to just walk away leaving the woman that you supposedly loved in tears, never caring what the real story was."

"You know nothing!" Carlisle yelled.

"I know about love," Emmett yelled back. "I know that I would give up everything if I had a chance to just give her a normal life, but I can't even do that. If I did the tabloids would be after the runaway heir and we'd still never get peace. Instead, I keep asking her to sacrifice for me. Welcome to my world Bella, please deal with my crazy ass family, tabloid reporters, a bitter harpy who for whatever reason decides she hates you, and my father who has decided to lose his shit without ever giving you a chance."

"Emmett, I..." Carlisle started to say.

"No, Dad," Emmett said. "Just no. You stay away from me and you stay away from my wife. I won't let you hurt her again. I won't stand for it."

"Emmett..." he said again.

"Nothing," Emmett said, moving towards me. "Now get out of here so my wife and I can get ready for dinner. We will act civilly at dinner, as will you, but if you say one word to either of us, or about either of us, we will leave."

"Please," Carlisle said.

"Please what, Dad?" he asked. "Please let you make an ass out of yourself again? Please allow you to insult my wife some more? I won't do that. I told her that you overreacted. I stood up for you and I told my wife that you were a reasonable person. At least I didn't freeze this time, but I will not let you hurt her again. She doesn't deserve that shit and I won't give you that chance again."

Carlisle dropped to his knees in the hallway outside the bedroom and I cringed in Emmett's arms. The doctor in me wanting to make sure he was physically okay.

"I blew it, Emmett. I did," he said. "I let my own feelings for my situation cloud my judgement. I lashed out the only way I knew how. But I didn't come here to fight. I didn't come here to hurt you or Isabella again. I came here to apologize, to tell you I was wrong, and that I let my fear get in the way, just as I did with Elizabeth all those years ago."

Emmett seemed to be in shock and he just stared at his father as if he had grown another head.

"You're right, no matter how much I love your mother, no matter how fulfilled my life is, I let myself wallow in the doubt that I allowed her to cause. And you are also right that I didn't fight, I didn't ask why or hear her side of the story. Instead I allowed your mother and you and your siblings to fill me, until I didn't even know that hurt was still there. I had no reason to treat you the way I did, Isabella. My behavior has been inexcusable. I lashed out at you and hurt you because of my own issues and my own insecurities, and instead of allowing myself to get to know you, to find out from you how wonderful you are, I shut you out. I finally listened to Edward, Alice, Jasper, Esme and even Jacob... and I learned that the person that I lashed out and hurt is a person that I should have been proud of, a person that I should have welcomed into our lives, and the only person that my son has ever cared about. I was a fool and I didn't see any of that because of my own insecurities," he said, tears now running down his cheeks.

Emmett finally cleared his throat; I could feel his own emotions on the surface. He wanted desperately to believe his father but his need to protect me was stronger and he stood looking at the crumpled man before us on the carpet. I decided to speak up.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't understand any of this and I'm really trying to figure it all out."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Carlisle said. "Only me."

"I was so scared when I first saw Edward at the hospital," I said. "I remembered him, but I didn't know if he have remembered me from Vegas, he was obviously drunk but I wasn't sure. But he didn't. Then at least I had a name to put to my husband, but I didn't know how to ask Edward, I didn't even know if Em would remember me. And how do you say, hey doctor I just met today, can you hook me up with your brother's phone number… I married him in Vegas and HOW does someone start that conversation? And I really had no clue who any of you were. I'm not into any of that stuff. I barely even read the news."

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I wish I had a good excuse."

"What did I do so wrong?" I asked. "Apparently you all hate Rosalie, but you treated her with more respect than you treated me."

"You did nothing, Baby," Emmett said to me, still glaring at his father.

"When I was younger, in college, I met a woman, fell in love and married her. I thought she was my forever. What she was, was a money hungry girl who was in it for the payout. She didn't love me," he said.

"So you assume that everyone is that way?" I ask. "Guilty until proved innocent."

"I have no excuse other than I panicked. You didn't see how distraught he was. I knew there was something wrong and he wouldn't say anything until he finally confided in Esme. Then all I could see was Elizabeth and how broken I was," Carlisle said. "I couldn't see him hurt by someone who only wanted him for the money."

"I told you flat out that I didn't care about money, but that wasn't good enough," I said.

"I was sure you were lying... and in the house when you tore the check up, I was sure you wanted more. But when you offered to sign the papers anyway, then argued against any payout in the pre-nup... I knew I was wrong. I don't know how to be wrong..." he said.

"So I finally proved to you..." I started to say.

"I guess you did," he said.

I started to open my mouth to say more when Edward burst into the house. "Rosalie has called a press conference for tomorrow morning at 10:00," he said by way of a greeting.

"Shit," Emmett and Carlisle said at the same time.

"What can she say?" I asked.

"Anything she damn well pleases," Emmett said. "She's very dangerous when she's angry."

"We need to make some calls," Carlisle said, heading downstairs.

"This could be really bad," Edward said. "I'm so sorry Bella." He followed his father down the stairs before I could even say a word.

"Em, I don't understand," I said.

"There's a lot that she can say," Emmett explained. "Some stuff may be true. Some may be complete fabrications. That doesn't matter to her. She's only out to hurt people."

"But people won't believe her…"

"Some won't but some will. People can be sheep and easily led astray. Now, it won't make a really big difference to me, except she has some knowledge that I really don't want dragged through the papers," he said, he said looking at me.

"Me," I said softly.

"We are unconventional to say the least," he said. "And while I am not the least bit embarrassed by our story. I will not take kindly to my wife being dragged through the tabloids and judged because of that catty bitch. I will protect you."

"Em, it doesn't matter…"

"But it could," he said. "She's dangerous and knows just how to play her cards to do the most damage. I will not allow you to be injured by her in any way."

"I trust you."

"You are far too good to me," he said.

"So what can I do?"

"Do you think you can find your way back to the main house?" Emmett asked.

"I can," I said. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Talk to Jane and Alec, they'll help you with everything you need to know," Emmett said. "I love you, Bella. You are my world."

"I love you too," I said to him. He followed his brother and father downstairs and I gathered the rest of my clothing and dressed before making my way back across the grounds to his parents' house. I walked back around the house to the front door and knocked timidly.

Esme answered the door and pulled me into her arms. "Don't you ever knock here," she said. "This is your home too. You are welcome any time."

I didn't know how to respond so I just smiled shyly and allowed her to pull me along after her into the house. She stopped at the dining room and I had a plate shoved in my hands before I could blink.

"Thank you," I said. "I should take a plate to the guys."

"It's taken care of," she said. "Now sit and eat."

I sat down with my plate of food and contemplated all I'd learned, that evening as Esme bustled around. Jake and Alice joined me when I was about half done and Alice babbled a mile a minute about clothes and fashion. I was only half listening, but understood almost nothing. Jake, on the other hand, was eating it up.

"Okay," Alice said, once she'd finished eating. "After you're done you are going to be meeting with Jane and Alec. They will teach you some avoidance tools to use with the press and some different tactics that we employ to confuse the masses."

"Do I have to?" whined Jake. "Not like I got married in Vegas."

"You are her best friend. The press will be interested in you, as a means to get to her," Alice said.

"Lead the way," Jake said, suddenly ready to go. "I got your back, Baby Girl."

"You always do, Jakey," I said.

We spent the next hour being taught different avoidance techniques for dealing with the press, and how to deal with pushy people who ask too many leading questions. I rocked it; Jake had a little more trouble. When we finally got out of there, Carlisle and Edward had returned.

"Em is still at the garden house," Edward said smiling at me. "Want me to walk you over?"

"It's okay," I said. "I can find my way."

"You're good for him, hell, you're good for all of us," he said. "I almost wish I'd met you first."

"You did," I laughed. "You were just too drunk to remember."

He blushed absolutely scarlet and then started laughing. I smiled at him and waved, saying a few more tentative goodbyes as I made my way to the back door. I avoided Carlisle, still uncertain of what I felt about his apology. Jake insisted on walking me at least half way back to the garden house.

"You gonna be okay here if I head home to get some sleep?" he asked me.

"As long as I'm with Emmett," I replied.

"Daddy C seems to have relaxed a great deal," he said.

"He apologized... I'm just not sure how I feel about it," I said.

"I bet," Jake said.

"This married and happy thing looks good on you, Baby Girl," he said smiling at me.

"I do love him, Jake," I said.

"I know you do," he said. "I can see it all over you. I'm just sad that I'm going to be losing you. I don't know if I'll like not being the only man in your life."

"Since when are you a man?" I asked, teasing him as I always did.

"Wounded!" he cried, clutching his chest.

"I know you have the right equipment so no offering to show me!" I said as I saw the devious look on his face.

"You know me too well," he said.

"I do," I said. "The same way you know me. Thanks for talking to Daddy C for me."

"He came to me," Jake said. "If I could have remembered if it was thumb in or thumb out, I would have punched him for being such an ass to you."

"How many times has Charlie told you that?" I asked.

"It was the heat of the moment and I panicked," he said, laughing as we sat on one of Esme's benches.

"Figures," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Anyway, he came to me and asked me. He wanted to know you and feared he had ruined his chances. I told him that you had the biggest heart of anyone I knew, but I had never seen you so hurt ever," Jake said. "He looked pretty upset."

"He may have been, but I don't know what to feel," I said. "He had his reasons, his heart was broken years ago but still."

"I get it, Baby Girl," he said, holding my hand. "I doubt I could forgive him in your position. I doubt I can ever truly forgive him from mine. You are my best friend. You know I never meant to hurt you when I suggested that Eddie bring his family to the hospital. I thought that maybe you'd see him across a room and it would be that romantic kinda thing. I didn't know the rest of the family was nuts."

"You really need to learn to butt out, Jakey," I said.

"And you really need to get some sleep. You have a long shift tomorrow, and with that Barbie Bitch having her press conference at the hospital, I don't imagine it's going to be easy," he said.

"At the hospital?" I asked.

"Yup," he said.

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Apparently she got herself admitted this evening for stress," he said.

"Crap," I said.

"I know," he said. "But don't worry too much. I'll be there to protect you."

"Only if you can remember its thumb out!" I said.

"Right," he laughed. "Go find your man and get some actual sleep tonight, not just mattress mambo."

"Jake!" I groaned.

"Not that I blame you," he said with a grin. "He's hot!"

"Keep your eyes, hands, and mind off my husband," I said slapping his chest.

"Ouch," he pouted as he rubbed his chest.

"That's the big strong protector I know," I laughed.

"Love you, Baby Girl," he said.

"I love you too, Jakey," I said.

I moved away from Jake into the dark towards the garden house. I could see the lights lit up and I smiled, thinking of the man waiting for me inside. I walked a few more steps before I felt hands grab me from behind.

I tried to struggle and scream but he held me in an iron tight grip.

"Settle down, Dr. Cullen," he whispered into my ear. "I'm not here to hurt you, I just have something that needs to be delivered to Mr. Carlisle Cullen, with some instructions."

I stopped struggling for a few reasons, one I knew it was doing me no good and two if I cooperated now, and he kept me here, maybe I'd have a better chance to get away later.

"Good girl," he said. "I'm going to release your mouth now. Do not scream."

I did as he said and he completely released me. My heart was pounding and I turned to see the man that had grabbed me. He was tall and muscular, not as broad as Emmett, but at least six feet tall. He was in his mid thirties, had a greasy blondish ponytail and pale skin.

"My name is James, Mr. Cullen will know who you are talking about," he said.

"Okay, James," I said. "What do you want me to tell him?"

"You need to give him this," he said, handing me an envelope from inside his jacket. "Tell him he knows how much and that I will return in Saturday morning to be paid."

"And he'll know what you're talking about?" I asked.

"He will," James said, smirking. "Tell Emmett he better keep his hands on his pretty wife. The next man that gets onto the property may have an affinity for delicate little brunettes. I myself like my lovers a little beefier in certain areas."

I was about to throw a snarky comment in but before I could blink, he had disappeared behind some bushes and was out of sight. As soon as I could make my legs move I dashed towards the garden house, calling for Emmett.

"Bella, Baby what is it?" he asked as he pulled the door open.

I launched myself into his arms.

"You are positively trembling. Are you okay? Did my father say something? Do something?" he asked concerned. "I should have some to the house. I shouldn't have left him..."

"It wasn't your father. There was a man in the garden," I said.

"A man? What did he look like?" Emmett said.

"He was just over six feet, he had scruffy looking clothes on with a black leather jacket. He had a greasy blonde ponytail and he smelled like a garbage dump," I said.

"Tell me what happened," Emmett said.

"He grabbed me and held his hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream. He told me that he had a message for Carlisle and that he would let me go if I didn't scream," I said. "Then he gave me the envelope and told me that your father knows how much and that he'd be back on Saturday morning."

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Did he hurt you at all?"

"No," I said. "He just scared me. Jake had walked me until I could see the house and then a minute after he left, the guy grabbed me. He said his name was James. He also said that you should keep your hands on me because the next guy may like dainty brunettes. He said I was lucky that he liked his lovers beefier in certain areas."

"Where is the envelope?" he asked. I held it up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am now," I replied, leaning against his chest.

"If I ever get my hands on the fucker, he's dead," He said.

"I'm okay. He just scared me," I said.

"Now, let's see what was so important this ass felt the need to scare my wife for," he said.

I handed it to him and he ripped it open, staring at the contents with wide eyes.

"Holy shit!" Emmett said as he scanned the contents. "We need to get back to the big house right away."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A hell of a lot of dirt on Rosalie Hale," Emmett said excitedly.

"Well, let's go," I said excitedly.

"You want a ride?" he asked, smirking at me and waggling his eyebrows at me.

"What kind of ride?" I asked him.

"Hop up," he said turning around.

"A piggy back ride? Seriously?" I asked.

"Hey, the guy said I should keep my hands on my wife," he said.

"Well, we should definitely listen to the creepy stalker guy," I said.

"Indeed," he said.

I hopped onto his back and he put the pack of pictures into my hand.

"You need to hold these. I need to keep my hands on my wife," he said.

"You're going to enjoy that for a while, aren't you?" I asked.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

"Not a bit," I said.

Emmett charged through the gardens quickly making me giggle at every turn.

"Slow down, you're going to drop me," I squealed.

"Never," he said. "I won't ever let you go."

"I believe you," I said, leaning into him.

I was giggling and shrieking like a child as Emmett burst into the backdoor. Esme looked at us with a stunned expression before a big smile came across her face and she was laughing with us, or at us, it really didn't matter.

"Where's Dad?" Emmett asked as soon as he stopped laughing.

"In his study," Esme said. "What's up?"

"I'll explain in a minute. Grab the gang and meet us in the study," Emmett said.

"Sounds like you have a plan," she said.

"I have so much more than that, Mom," he said.

"You can put me down now," I said as he moved towards his father's study.

"No way. I like having my hands on your legs," he said, turning his head and showing me his dimpled smirk.

"But I can't reach your lips from back here," I said.

"Well that will never do," he said, putting me down instantly. As soon as my feet hit the floor he spun me in his arms and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me softly. As my lips moved against his, he lifted me up again and I wrapped my legs around his waist and he pressed me against the nearest wall. I didn't care where we were or who was around as I felt his tongue on my lips, asking for entrance, which I gladly granted.

"Take a break already and let the girl breathe," Alice teased as she walked up next to us, standing 6 inches away.

I buried my head in his neck as he laughed heartily. Alice just grinned cheekily and headed into her father's study.

"I can't put you down yet," Emmett growled into my ear, pressing his groin against mine to let me know exactly why not.

I groaned with desire but knew we had things to do, so I broke out the thing that kills my mood faster than any cold shower.

"There are so many mystery stains on Jake's car blanket, it isn't even one color, more like camoflage now... and it crinkles when he moves it.

"Well that worked," Emmett said, shuddering.

"Works every time for me too," I said, grabbing his hand and walking into the study. A few moments after we arrived Esme, Edward, Jasper, Alec and Jane entered. The lawyers were already present and I wondered how much they charged an hour to still be here at this time of night.

As soon as everyone was in, Emmett pulled up a chair and sat down, pulling me onto his lap. He filled everyone in on what had happened in the garden. I was thankful that Jake was gone, because he would have blamed himself for not protecting me.

"Why did that man put his hands on you?" Esme asked, fiercely. "How does he get in here?"

"He's the best for a reason, Es," Carlisle said, soothing his wife. "I'm sorry he scared you, Isabella. He likes to push the bar sometimes. He'll be hearing words about this though."

"Did you look at the pictures?" Edward asked Emmett.

"Sure did," Emmett said. "She's going to be running for Daddy with her tail between her legs."

"What is it?" Alice asked.

"Let me show you," Emmett said, pulling the envelope from my hands gently.

He opened it up and began laying pictures on the desk. The first was Rosalie kissing an unknown man. The picture was dated Saturday. I looked at Edward who simply shook his head in disgust. The second picture showed a progression of clothing being removed until they were both completely naked. That picture showed the man's face.

"That's Congressman King," Alice gasped.

"Royce King?" I asked.

"The very married Royce King!" Jasper said, gaping like a fish out of water.

"Edward," Carlisle said, looking at his son. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not. When she yelled at Bella like that... I knew she wasn't who she had pretended to be. I don't think anything could surprise me," he said, shaking his head quickly.

"The next part isn't a picture," Emmett said, taking a deep breath and glancing over at Edward. "Can you please read it, Bella? It's a medical report."

I took the report in hand and quickly scanned over it. I almost fainted when I read the report and hoped that this wouldn't hurt Edward anymore than he must be already.

"Rosalie is nine weeks pregnant... as of last Monday," I said quietly.

The room got so quiet for a moment you could almost hear a pin drop.

"What?" Carlisle roared.

"Nine weeks?" Edward asked.

"Yes. She had it dated by ultrasound," I said, looking at my brother-in-law and co-worker.

"We... it can't be mine," Edward said, looking decidedly green. "I was still at school. She was in Seattle..."

"Thank God!" Esme said, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"There were a few more pictures of Rosalie at a doctor's office," Emmett said. "I'm sorry, Little Bro."

"I was almost trapped raising someone else's baby. The baby would have been assumed to be a Cullen simply because we were married," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I said softly.

"I'm not. Thank God I saw the light before marrying her," he said.

"Now the question is how we go about stopping the press conference and getting the information to Rosalie," Carlisle said.

"Everyone but medical personnel is banned from her room," Jasper said. "She won't even see me. I can see why. She's gotten herself in deep. Sleeping with a married congressman..."

"I can have Jake see who her attending is and switch her to me in the morning," I said.

"You are not going to confront Rosalie on your own," Emmett said.

"Of course not," I said, smiling at Edward. "I have another doctor shadowing me, and a nurse that does rounds with me."

"Would you be okay with that Edward?" Carlisle asked, looking at his son.

"I would love that," Edward said. "You are brilliant, Bella!"

"That would be perfect," Carlisle smiled. "In the meantime I will set up an urgent meeting with Congressman King. He's a good friend and he's likely to wind up in her crosshairs just as much as any of us. Edward prepare to play the wronged party in the media."

"I am not making a statement," Edward said.

"Of course not," Carlisle said. "We will have one officially released on your behalf."

"James certainly earned his pay check," I said.

"And he'll have his hands removed if he touches a member of my family again," Carlisle said, looking right at me.

"Thanks," I said to him. Not for saying that he would have James' hands removed, but for calling me a member of his family.

"Well, Bella and I had better get to bed. We have to work early tomorrow," Edward said, before stopping and turning red. "That came out so wrong."

"But the idea is correct," Emmett stepped in saving his brother. "I'm taking my wife home to bed."

He picked me up bridal style and starting heading towards his car.

"Let's stay at the garden house tonight," I whispered to him. "My bed is nowhere near as comfortable and much farther away."

He stopped in his tracks.

"How will you get to work?" he asked.

"I believe I could hop a ride with your brother," I said.

"Ed," Emmett called out.

"What's up?" Emmett asked.

"Appropriate question," I muttered.

"Behave," Emmett whispered to me before answering his brother. "Can you pick Bella up at 6:15 in front of the garden house for work?"

"You bet," Edward said. "But make sure you let the poor girl get some sleep."

"Maybe," Emmett snickered.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and shifted in his arms, so that I had my legs wrapped around his waist and his hands were holding my bottom. As we made our way outside to the dark gardens, I kissed his neck and collarbone, making him groan against me.

"Are you going to let me walk ever gain?" I asked.

"When you're at work," he sighed.

"That's it?" I asked.

"I like having you in my arms," he said.

"I like being in your arms," I said, nipping at his neck.

"Then I'll carry you as often as you'll let me," he said.

"What about when I'm pregnant?" I asked. "I'll be too big to be carried by then."

"Never," he growled, before growing serious and adding, "You have no idea how much that excites me."

"I think I do," I said grinding my hips against him. His pace quickened and we were back in the garden house, only stopping long enough to lock the door, before we were on the large bed, clothing being shed in every direction.

My internal alarm woke me before the alarm I had set on my cell phone. I was laying in the darkened bedroom, wrapped in my husband's arms, my head resting against his chest. For the first time ever, I was not anxious to get out of bed and go to work, in fact, I would have happily stayed in that bed for the rest of the day. But today was a big day, Edward and I were going to go confront Rosalie, and hopefully stop whatever press conference she was planning. Carlisle had gotten word to us, by text, that he had an 8am meeting with the congressman.

I listened to my husband's deep breathing before I slipped out of his arms and padded naked to the bathroom. I was never so thankful that I had full changes of clothes in my locker and would not have to wear yesterday's underwear all day.

Once I had done my morning business, I went to the shower, hoping that I remembered how to turn it on. It was actually easy once you knew where the panel was and I stepped into the warm spray, letting it soothe my aching muscles. After a short shower, I stopped the water, stepped out into the cool air of the bathroom, and grabbed a large blue towel from behind the door. I could have wrapped the thing around my body twice it was so massive. I dried off quickly, towel drying my hair as much as possible before stepping naked back into the bedroom.

"I missed you," Emmett said, his voice still husky with sleep.

"I needed to start getting ready for work," I said.

"I wish you didn't have to," he said.

"Me too," I said.

"Come here, Beautiful," he said to me, opening his massive arms.

"If I do, I may never leave," I said, biting me lip.

"I promise that I won't make you late for work," he said, his sexy dimpled grin in place.

"You promise?" I asked.

"Ummhmm," he confirmed.

"Can I drive you guys in today?" he asked. "There will definitely be reporters there and I would rather they see me bringing you to work then Ed. I don't want you to have to deal with anymore rumor or innuendo then you'll already have to."

"I would love that," I said.

"Good," he said, smiling. "I'll text Edward and let him know."

"Do you have any food downstairs?" I asked,

"I think so," he said. "Mom usually keeps the kitchen stocked in case I want to try my hand at cooking."

"I have enough time to make some breakfast while you shower and get ready," I told him.

"You don't have to," he said.

"I want to," I said. "I like being all domestic sometimes."

"If you want," he said, stretching.

"I'd kiss you," I said, "but I probably have morning breath."

"I don't care," he said, smiling at me.

Neither did I, so I kissed him in spite of both of our morning breath.

"There's probably spare toothbrushes in the guest room bathroom. I'll check when I get out of the shower," he said, as I pulled away to get dressed.

Once I was dressed, I padded down to the kitchen as Emmett started the shower. I managed to find all necessary ingredients to make bacon and eggs and by the time, Emmett was downstairs, I had two plates ready to set on the table. Mine contained, two eggs, two pieces of bacon and a piece of toast. Emmett's was twice that.

"How is it that you already know what I need?" he asked.

"I needed to do something to help keep your strength up. With all the wife carrying that you have been doing, not to mention our extracurricular activities..." I said.

"I like mentioning our extracurricular activities," he growled.

Just as we finished breakfast I heard the familiar rumble of his truck.

"I guess Ed is early," he said.

"I'll just run up and brush my teeth," I said as I finished my last bite.

"I'll wash the plates quickly, since you seem to have everything else taken care of," he said, looking at the spotless kitchen.

I ran up the stairs and brushed my teeth with the new toothbrush that Emmett left out for me and sat it on the counter next to his. I ran my fingers through my hair and grabbed a hair tie from my purse, pulling my hair up into a ponytail.

I dashed down the stairs to see Edward and Emmett in the front hall, waiting for me.

We jumped into the Jeep, or Edward jumped in, Emmett lifted me in and then he jumped in.

We talked about small things on the way to the hospital.

"How do you want to deal with the press?" Emmett asked both Edward and I. "Shall we try to sneak in the service entrance, use the staff entrance or walk in the front doors?"

"Staff entrance," I said and Edward agreed.

"Can I kiss you in front of the reporters?" he asked me.

"If you want," I said.

"Not me," Edward said. "That would do nothing for my wounded rep."

We laughed slightly and I jumped when my phone signalled that I had a text message. It was from Jake.

_Karma's a bitch; I didn't have to change a thing. See you on the floor at 7:00._

"Looks like Rosalie was already assigned to my patient load for the day," I said smiling.

"What did he say?" Emmett asked.

I read him the text and both Emmett and Edward got a good snicker from it.

"Do you remember all your avoidance techniques?" Emmett asked, as we got close to the hospital.

"Look straight ahead, ask politely to be let through, and avoid any acknowledgement of anything anyone says," I said.

"Good girl," Edward said with a smile.

"Ready?" Emmett asked as we pulled into the lot. Reporters and photographers scrambled for their equipment as they took note of Emmett's massive vehicle.

"As I'll ever be," I said, smiling at him.

"I'm going to jump out first," Emmett said. "I'll go around and open Bella's door, using my body to shield her temporarily while you jump out Ed. They'll be distracted and not know which of us to rush. As you begin to move through the crowd, I'll kiss Bella to let you get a little momentum. Then I'll guide her to the door. None of us will make any comment. The kiss will have to suffice for now."

"Okay," I said nervously as Emmett finally stopped the Jeep.

The reporters swarmed the Jeep trying to see through the darkened glass. The moment Emmett opened the door, cameras were thrust into his face and the flashed started going mad. He moved around the Jeep, asking politely for people to let him through. As he reached my door, I took a deep breath.

"Smile," Edward said.

"You're on," I replied.

As soon as Emmett opened my door, the cameras began to flash in my face. I kept my eyes on Emmett, and smiled at him. He did exactly what he said he would and shielded my body from the reporters as Edward jumped out. If possible the noise got louder. Emmett moved slightly so he could close and lock the door.

_Edward is it true that you have cancelled the wedding to Rosalie Hale?_

_Emmett is this your wife?_

_How did you meet?_

_Isabella, how do you feel about joining the Cullen family?_

_Is it true that Rosalie hale is hospitalized here?_

The questions were as fast and furious as the flashbulbs that kept flashing, and all of that was suddenly unimportant as Emmett lowered his head and kissed me softly. As planned, Edward managed to push away a little bit and by the time Emmett raised his head, smirking down at me, Edward was half way to the door.

"Excuse us," Emmett said, as he cradled me against his chest with one hand and used the other to clear the way in front of us as we pushed through the crowd.

"Excuse me, please," I added, which seemed to get the frenzy swarming a little more. The wife spoke.

We made it to the doors that were being guarded by three hospital security guards, who nodded and waved us through.

"Wow," I said.

"That kiss will be on the net in under five minutes," Edward said, standing against the wall.

"Thank you for helping me navigate that mess," I said to Emmett.

"Always," he replied. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I said.

"Call me when you can," he said, touching my cheek.

"I promise."

Edward and I made our way unhindered through the halls to the doctor's lounge. "Are you going to wear scrubs today?" he asked.

"Not until after I visit, Rosalie," I said, smirking as I grabbed a change of clothes from my locker. I had a long pair of dress slacks and a blouse that I used when Aro called an impromptu meeting or there was some important meeting that I had to attend. I stepped into the bathroom and got myself dressed quickly and fixed my hair and make-up to be professional but far more formal than my normal everyday attire. I would not let Rosalie Hale intimidate me.

"Wow, a change like that would have taken Rosalie or Alice at least an hour. You look great, and it's only been seven minutes," he said, looking at his watch.

"Shall we go?" I asked him.

"Let's," he said. "Do you have the copies of those pictures?"

"I do," I said. "Shall I go in first?"

"Maybe we should let Jake go first," he said. "Then you can go in and introduce yourself as Dr. Cullen."

"You are evil," I said.

"Can be, and I am going to enjoy every second of watching her squirm. I just can't believe that I wasted nine years of my life on her," he said.

"You can't go back, only forward, so while regretting what you've done is natural, don't let it affect your future too much," I said. "You've had other things on your mind. Just be happy that you know now and that you won't spend your future raising Royce King III."

"I guess," he said.

We fell into a comfortable silence as we turned onto the floor.

"Good morning Dr. Cullen and Dr. Cullen," Jake said with a grin.

"Morning, Jake," I said.

"The diva has been awake for an hour and making demands since she opened her eyes. Dr. McMillan admitted her and transferred her to you as of 6am, not that she is aware of the change. Kim and Becky have been taking each of her calls so far, but they are ready to murder her so it's all me from here on out, and since you and Dr. Cullen are the only attendings on the floor today..." he said.

"Thanks, Jake," Edward said. "Bella and I thought it might be best if you went in first, followed by Bella. After Bella has dropped a bombshell or two, I'll drift in to watch."

"Let's get the show on the road, Jake said.

We stepped to the side and Jake opened the door, leaving it slightly ajar.

"Good morning, Miss Hale," I heard him say in his best drama queen voice.

"You!" she said. "Where are those other nurses?"

"Kim and Becky are working in the other side of the floor," he said. "I'll be your head nurse for the day."

"I don't think so," she said. "Get me my doctor and get me out of here."

"That's my cue," I whispered to Edward.

"Go get her," he whispered.

"Good morning, Miss Hale," I said to her as I entered the room. "I'm Dr. Cullen and I'll be taking care of your case today."

"What?" she all but screamed.

"I realize that Dr. McMillan admitted you, but his shift has ended and me and my colleague will be taking care of you for until tomorrow," I said sweetly.

"I can't be here that long," she said.

"With your symptoms it would be advisable, especially in your condition," I said.

"What condition?" she asked, her eyes actually showing fear.

"I heard about the broken engagement," I said. "That has to be hard, especially when there is infidelity involved."

"Infidelity?" Rosalie asked.

That was Edward's cue to enter.

"Good morning, Dr. Cullen," he said as he entered. "What do you have today?"

"Here's the chart," I said handing Edward, Rosalie's chart.

"She's been admitted for stress," I said.

"That's not good in her condition," he said, staring down at the chart, where we had placed a copy of her medical records.

"What condition are you talking about?" Rosalie demanded, finally having enough of our game.

"Your pregnancy, of course," I said.

"Pregnancy!" she sputtered stupidly.

"Yes, according to your chart you are nine and a half weeks pregnant," I said. "Isn't that right Dr. Cullen."

"I wouldn't know PERSONALLY, since I was on still on the East Coast during that time," Edward said. "But that's what the chart says."

"I don't believe you!" Rosalie said.

"Nurse Black, will you please show the patient her chart," I asked.

Jake took the chart from Edward and brought it to a very flustered Rosalie. She looked at it momentarily before looking up.

"I want to be released now," she said ripping the page out of the chart.

"I am noting some signs of stress and as your doctor, I wouldn't advise that," I said. "Especially in your condition."

"I want to sign myself out, against doctor's orders," she said.

"That's fine," I said. "Know that you can not bring any record from this visit up in a court of law if you check yourself out."

"Well, we should be off to see our next patient," I said.

"Didn't you have something else for this one, Dr. Cullen?" Edward asked me.

"How forgetful of me," I said, pleasantly, reaching into my lab coat and pulling out the version of the photos James had provided us with.

"I know you have been stressed about recent situations with MY family," I said. "I know that you have your press conference slated to begin downstairs at 10AM, hoping to shame either Edward, or Edward and myself from the hospital. I can guarantee that you won't succeed."

"Won't I?" she sneered. "The pregnant ex-fiancée, dumped right before the big day. That will look good in the press."

"It will, when accompanied by this," I said, giving her the first picture, "or any of these." I tossed all the rest of the anonymous pictures on her bed, the ones that didn't show exactly who she was sleeping with.

"Those are obviously not your EX-fiancée," Edward said.

"I'd lay ten to one odds that I can guess who that is," I said.

"Can I, please?" Edward asked.

"Are you good with that sort of thing?" I asked him.

"Some people say I can read minds," Edward said.

"Enough with the dumb and dumber routine," Rosalie snapped. "What is your point?"

Edward tossed the last few pictures on the bed, the ones that identified Royce's face as he... did the deed, with Rosalie. She looked at them with tears in her eyes, swiping them off her cheeks before they had a chance to truly start.

"What do you want?" she asked me.

"No press conference, not a word from you about any of the Cullens, ever," I said.

"That includes my new sister-in-law," Edward piped up.

"But, I'll look like a fool of I cancel the press conference," she said, indignantly.

"That may be true," I said. "If you attempt to have your press conference, you better be very careful what you say. Alice and Esme Cullen will be attending your press conference. They will have these photos, blown up to 16 x20, and would love to share, if they must. For now, in under twenty minutes, Carlisle Cullen is going to sit down for a meeting and share the contents of these photos, with the other subject of these photos."

"Who?" she asked stupidly.

"Congressman Royce King Jr., of course," Edward said.

"No!" she said. "They could destroy him."

"They could," Edward agreed. "He will know that you hold the key, deciding if they are released or not."

"You have to be kidding," Rosalie said, looking at Edward.

"No, not even a little bit," Edward said.

"Why?" Rosalie asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Do what? Let him know what we found?" Edward asked. "Let him know the truth?"

"No, why would you betray me?" she asked.

Edward stared at her for a few moments before speaking. "I never would have betrayed you; not ever! You were my friend and I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together. But you changed Posey… and I never saw it until the other day."

"You changed too," she huffed.

"Maybe, but inside I'm the same person I always was. I want a simple life, a wife and children... I want to be so boring that nobody even bats an eyelash at me when I play with my kids at the park," he said. "You used to want that too."

"Maybe I did… once upon a time," she said. "But I grew up and I understood that there are expectations. I have to act a certain way, be a certain way."

"Like your mother?" he asked. "There was a time that you wanted to be anything but that."

"Maybe," she said.

"Why would you still marry me, pregnant with another man's child?" Edward asked, sadly. "Did you think I'd never know?"

"I don't know," she said.

"And you think I am betraying you… but I never slept with anyone else. I never even looked at anyone else. Why would you do that to me? Why would you betray me like that?"

"I was alone!" she cried, suddenly sounding angry. "You were never there for me!"

"So it's my fault?" Edward asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know!" she cried. "I needed to feel loved. I needed to feel beautiful and desired and wanted."

"And I wasn't enough?" Edward asked.

"You were. I was just lonely," she said miserably.

"And the baby. Even then you didn't think I deserved the truth?"

"Royce would never have stood by me. I can't do this alone." She said pointing to her midsection. "I didn't want to hurt you, Edward. I love you. For so long you were more interested in your studies than me... I just needed someone who wanted me for me. Someone who would tell me I was pretty, and smart. Someone who..."

"Wanted you for sex?" Edward finished for her. "Is that truly all you care about?"

"No!" she cried. "I love you."

"You don't even know me anymore," Edward said. "You created an image of me to suit your needs, and that image is what you are in love with."

"No! I do love you," she said, sobbing into her hands.

"It's done, Rosalie," Edward said. "I spent nine years struggling to be the man you wanted me to be, while I tried to find the man I wanted to be. I love what I do, it actually makes a difference, I don't want to head boards or sit on charities, I don't want to rise in the ranks and be any more than a doctor, a desk full of paperwork is not for me. I want to do my job, go home and have someone to cuddle up with at the end of a long day. Not someone who wants me to attend a million galas, just so we can be seen."

"I thought you loved me?" she said.

"I thought I did too," he said with a shrug. "Then I realized that I was happier when you weren't around, that I enjoyed doing things that you hated and that when we were apart I enjoyed life that much more. If I married you, we would have ended up exactly like your parents, bitter and hateful, each in it for themselves. I don't want that, I want a wife who believes in me and MY dreams, not the dreams she created for me. I want someone who will build me up, enjoy spending time with my family, as I do, someone who makes my heart do somersaults just by thinking her name..."

"So what now?" Rosalie asked, turning to face me, her steely glare returning.

"You sit here and recover from your stressful morning, while Edward and I complete our rounds," I said.

"And what about the press conference?" she asked.

"That's up to you," I said.

"And... and the baby?" she asked.

"I can only assume you are carrying the congressman's baby, and for that I wish you luck... a married man's baby..." Edward said.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, Edward," she said, tears filling her pretty blue eyes again.

"Maybe not," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders. "But it did. Now you have two things you can do, continue on the path you are on now, and have a terrible life for you and your child, or make some changes so that you both have a chance at happily ever after."

"Is there no hope for us?" she asked him, batting her eyelashes.

"None," he said, turning and leaving the room.

"What makes you so much better than me?" she asked me when he left.

"Absolutely nothing," I replied, as turned and left the room.


	8. Is Rosalie Finished?

As I walked out of Rosalie's room, I blew out a deep breath. That was far more emotionally charged than I had expected. I looked to Edward who was across the hall with his head down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How are you?" I asked him.

"I'm okay," he said. "It actually went way better than I expected."

"You got to say a lot," I said. "I was almost surprised by that."

"Me too," he said. "But it felt good. It's not often you get a word in where Rose is concerned."

"You called her Posey…."

"A childhood nickname… from when she wasn't quite so nasty."

"I'm sorry," I told him.

"I'm not," he said. "I meant what I said at the house. I want what you and Emmett have. I was settling and I don't want to settle anymore. I don't think we'd ever have been happy." I didn't really know how to acknowledge that so I let it slide. He deserved a good partner.

"Do you think she'll stop her press conference now?" I asked.

"I don't know. She may. If she's smart she will. But with Rose things can turn on a dime," he said.

"Are you really okay?" I asked again.

"I will be. It felt really good though," he said. "I don't know how I was expecting to feel."

Jake finally came out of the room, with a big smile on his face. "Blondie is beside herself in there," he said.

"Let's hope she makes some smart decisions," I said. "She has a child to consider."

"You are far too kind to be considering her feelings at all, Bella," Edward said. "She has been nothing but nasty to you."

"It's not her that I'm thinking of. She can rot in hell for all I care, but she does have a child to consider, a child who will not have the benefit of two loving parents. So she will be all this child has and so she better smarten up," I said.

"Does she ever react how you'd expect?" Edward asked Jake.

"Not yet," Jake said, shrugging his shoulders and laughing.

"Okay, now… we are behind on rounds, especially if we want to be clear for the press conference time, just in case. Divide and conquer?"

He was more than willing and so we divided the files, Jake deciding to help out Edward while Kim did rounds with me. We both wanted to be sure that we had all of our ducks in a row before 10AM. As Kim prepared to help me out I shot a quick text to Emmett.

_R has her tail between her legs. E and I have split the rest and we should be free on time for the PC. Love you._

He texted back just as quickly.

_I knew you could take her down, Baby. I'll see you at 10. Miss you already. Love you._

I smiled and slipped my phone back into my pocket, prepared to do my job. Rounds were not complicated at all and I found myself with just two cases left to visit. One was an older man who was recovering from hip replacement surgery, and the other was to actually do a medical visit with Rosalie Hale. I bit my lip and tucked Rosalie's file at the back, visiting David Matthews first. He was healing well and was ready to be released to the rehab center, so I signed the chart and prepared him for what to expect. When Kim and I exited the room, I took a deep breath.

"You don't care for the Barbie either, do you Dr. Swa...Cullen?" she asked.

"She is not a very kind person," I said.

"Let's just get this over with," she said.

"I like the way you think, Kim," I said.

She grinned at me and pushed the door to Rosalie's room open. Rose sat on the bed, practically in the same position as she had been in when I left.

"Good morning, Miss Hale," I said to her. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" she asked, not with malice, but with defeat.

"Have you had any morning sickness, or other symptoms with this pregnancy?" I asked.

"Just nausea," she said, looking at me strangely.

"Kim," I said. "Will you please take Miss Hale's vitals for me?"

"Yes, Dr. Cullen," Kim said.

"Have you had any bleeding or cramping?" I asked Rosalie.

"No," she replied quietly.

"Stress is not very good for pregnancy, so you'll need to take it easy, make sure you are getting enough fluids, and proper nutrition to make sure that your little one can grow properly," I said.

She nodded and I let Kim finish her vitals before moving on.

"Everything looks good, Doctor," Kim said.

"Thank you," I said to her.

"How are you feeling now? I know you came in complaining of heart palpitations, dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea," I said to her.

"I'm fine," she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I am," she said.

"Well, if you feel comfortable, you can be released home. You'll need to make sure to take it easy for a few days," I said.

"Why do you care?" she asked. "Why didn't you just..."

"I care because that's my job. I care because I know you are going through a hard situation right now, and no matter the reason for that situation, you are a human being. You are also a mother, please note I didn't say are going to be. Right now your actions and health are directly related to the little person that is growing inside you. Every child deserves to have a healthy and whole mother," I said to Rosalie.

"Why did he never look at me the way Emmett looks at you?" she asked, tears on her cheeks.

"Rosalie, I don't have those answers. What happened between Emmett and me was incredible and earth shattering. Without even seeking it, my whole world was suddenly knocked off it's axis by someone who means more to me than I can explain... and I haven't even known him a week. I don't know what you and Edward had, I don't know where you started and how you ended up in the situation you are in now..." I said to her.

"I loved him, I did..." she said.

I motioned for Kim to leave and she did with a smile.

"Yet you slept with another man?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to," she said. "Royce was helping my father out with something. The way he looked at me..."

"Made you forget that you promised yourself to someone else?" I said. "Can I tell you my definition of love is?"

"I guess," she said.

"Love is putting someone else before you, their thoughts, their needs, their wants... Yet everything that I saw with you and Edward was you forcing your wants, and needs on him," I said. "I have known him for such a short time and I know what he wants, why he became a doctor, what was important to him... Do you truly know those answers?"

She sat silently for a moment, contemplating my words, I suppose.

"Am I that selfish of a person?" she asked.

"I don't know you," I said. "I know what I've heard from Edward, Emmett, Alice and Jasper. I know what I thought when I first met you..."

"I was horrible," she said. I didn't say anything or make any move to judge her.

"You have some choices from here on out. The fact remains that it thirty weeks or so, you will be welcoming a child into this world, and since I assume his or her father will not be pleased with his or her existence, you are all that he or she will have. You have to decide what that will be. You can choose to remain bitter and angry, as I've seen you act thus far, or you can choose another path. You have burned many bridges and made some enemies. Think about what you want for your child, and how you want your child to see you, that is what's important," I said.

"I envy you," Rosalie said.

"You envy me?" I asked. "Why? Because I have the name you wanted?"

"No," she said... "Well, maybe some, but I envy you because you have what I want most."

"What is that?" I asked.

"Happiness, contentment, joy. You radiate it," she said.

"I didn't grow up with much, and what I did have I shared. I don't find my happiness in things but in people. I like to make a difference in my world, hopefully leaving it in a better place when I'm gone," I said.

"Thank you," she said. "I guess I'd better get ready. You have been far more kind than I deserved."

"You're welcome," I said to her. "I hope you find happiness in whatever form it comes."

I walked out of her room and into the office behind the nurses' station to finish all the paperwork involved with my files. Jake was chatting with the other nurses at the station and I realized that Edward wasn't here.

"Jake," I called to my best friend.

"Yes, Dr. Cullen?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"Where is Edward?" I asked.

"We finished our rounds a while ago and he went down to meet with Aro," he said.

"Was I supposed to be there?" I asked.

"No this was rather impromptu," Jake said. "Edward said something about not really needing to take the next couple of weeks off and trying to get put on rotation."

"Okay," I said. "I guess I'll finish off my paperwork and wait for him to get back."

I sat and finished writing up the orders that needed to be done and signing all necessary transfer and release papers. Just as I finished my last file, Edward came strolling into the office, smiling widely at me.

"Why are you smiling like the cat that ate the canary?" I asked him.

"This is my last shift shadowing you," he said proudly.

"I think this one is just for formality anyway," I said. "You are a quick learner, and you treat the nurses with respect. Those are the two things that will ensure your success here."

"Thank you," he said. "You are a very good teacher."

"Not that I did a whole lot," I said.

"You did," Edward insisted. "You showed me the ropes and for that I am most grateful."

"Fine," I said. "Did you get put on rotation?"

"I did," he said, grinning again.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something?" I asked.

"I may have done something..." he answered.

"What may you have done?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Well there is no secret in the fact that YOU just got married, nor is there a secret in the fact that I am NOT getting married, so I suggested that maybe I could take your shifts for the next two weeks so that you and my brother could possibly get some honeymoon time..." he said, almost sheepishly.

"Edward!" I said, slapping his arm. "How do you know Emmett would even want that or that he would be able to get time off himself?"

"First off," he said. "It was Emmett's idea. Second, I don't think he was too concerned about my father's feelings on the matter when he suggested it, and now that my dad is changing his tune, I doubt that he'd have any issue with it."

"So you think he meant it?" I asked him, referring to his father. "His apology?"

"Bella, my dad is a proud man. My grandfather turned a company over to him that was floundering. My father turned it around with grit and hard work. He has never cut costs or quality in order to boost profits. He makes steady and sure decisions, at least he did until Emmett announced he was married," Edward said with a smirk.

"He explained that somewhat," I said.

"I will only blame it on temporary insanity. I have never seen my father so riled. Do I think you should forgive him? No. That's up to you, and Emmett, I guess. He was stupid and hurtful, trying to lump you into a group with a woman that we have heard nothing but bad things about since we were old enough to start venturing out into the world unaccompanied," he said.

"I still don't know what to think," I said honestly. "I am so overwhelmed by everything."

"We are a bit much most of the time," he said with a smile, trying to tease me, but not knowing how right he was.

"It can be slightly overwhelming. If you knew anything about my life before my little trip to Vegas..." I started to say.

"I think it's fair to say that Jake said a few things about that," he said with a snicker.

"I'm sure he did," I said, blushing slightly.

"Well, Dr. Cullen..." he said smiling at me. "I guess we'd better get the rest of this done before the press conference, or the non-conference, depending on what Rosalie decides."

"And what do you think she is going to do?" I asked him.

"Honestly... I haven't the slightest clue. She may decide to see if we're bluffing, but I can't say for sure," he said.

"She seemed pretty contrite when I did her actual medical check up," I said. "I don't think it was an act but you never know."

We walked together to just in front of the nurses' station, when a man rushed through the area, heading directly for Rosalie's room. His demeanor was tense at best, as he slammed the door to her room open. I was moving in that direction without even thinking, only stopped by Edward's hand which grabbed me, forcing me to stop.

"Is that..." I started to ask as I recognized the man walking by.

"Royce King," Edward said to me before turning to the nurse behind the desk. "Call security now, please, Kim."

"Stay here, Bella," Edward said as he walked quickly towards the room that Royce had just entered.

"Like hell, I will," I said, jogging to keep up with him.

"Figures," Edward muttered as we approached the door.

We could both hear the noise from the room. Congressman King was not happy and he was making sure Rosalie knew it. The words that flew from his mouth were horrid, nothing a man should ever say to a lady. Edward flinched at the tone he was taking, and looked at me. "If I begged would you stay out here?" Edward asked.

"No," I said. "And if you don't get your ass moving, I'll go in there first."

Edward opened the door and we both stepped into the room. Rosalie Hale was cringing against the bed, dressed immaculately with her hair and make-up done. She was obviously ready for a press conference, or at least a run in with all the reporters outside. The congressman took no notice of us as we entered and he grabbed Rosalie by her upper arms, lifting her off the bed and shaking her roughly.

"Put her down," I said, angrily. I didn't care what she had done; no man should ever lay his hands a woman.

"Stay out of it," Royce growled, not even turning to acknowledge my presence.

"Like hell, I will," I said for the second time in under a minute. "Get your hands off my patient."

"Look, Doctor," he spat angrily, finally looking in my direction momentarily. "This is none of your damned business, now get the hell out."

"I don't know who the hell you think you are," I said to him, "but you will unhand my patient immediately and get the hell out before security comes and removes you."

"Royce," Edward said. "She isn't worth it."

"Cullen," he said looking at Edward. "You couldn't keep your woman satisfied so now it comes to this."

"She isn't worth it," Edward repeated. "I broke things off with Rose before I knew anything about your little fling or whatever it was. You need to put her down now and walk away before this becomes something that you can't handle. Nobody knows anything except for my family, you, and Rose. Put her down, get out and it stays that way."

"She is nothing but a manipulative little bitch!" he said to Edward. "You must know that better than anyone."

"I do," Edward said, trying to soothe the angry man. "I know exactly what type of person she is. That doesn't mean she deserves this. Put her down, Royce. Put her down and walk away before the security team gets here and the police are involved. You can salvage this and walk away."

"She will destroy my life," he said tossing Rosalie onto the bed roughly. "I have a wife, I have children... I can't have her screw that up."

I moved quickly to pull Rosalie from the bed, pressing her against the wall, and placing my body between her and Royce. He didn't even seem to notice that I'd made any move at all. He simply pulled at his hair as he paced, his eyes darting back and forth quickly. He looked positively frantic. Edward glanced at me, telling me with his eyes to get Rose and myself out of there. I wasn't going to argue with him, I could sense Royce's desperation and I knew that it would only take one little thing to set the man off completely.

"I have too much to lose," he said, pacing like a caged animal as I began to move Rose and I slowly towards the door.

"Nothing is lost," Edward said calmly. "Just walk out of here and it all goes away."

"I can't," Royce practically growled. "As long as she's alive, as long as she carries that bastard in her womb, I will always be a slave to her. I will always have to worry when she will come forward and shove her little bastard in front of the camera to ruin me."

I kept moving towards the door, Rosalie finally keeping pace with me on her own accord, placing her hand on my shoulder. Her breaths were coming in short, sharp pants as she moved, and I could feel her body quivering. Edward was beginning to look rather frantic himself as he could sense the situation going downhill quickly. Royce's breathing was erratic and he began to mutter to himself. The first few words were unintelligible but he got louder and the words made my blood run cold.

"She has to die, it's the only way," Royce said.

"It isn't the only way," Edward said. "Pay her off. Have her sign a confidentiality agreement. You can end this Royce. If you kill her, you'll never get out of here. It won't solve anything. There are too many witnesses. How many reporters saw you come in here? How many people did you walk by in the hall?"

"She'll ruin me, Edward. Don't you see?" he asked.

We were almost at the door by this time and I prayed that he'd just give us a few more seconds. I prayed that Edward would follow us quickly, but I needed to get Rose out of there, she was the focus of his rage. I was just about to reach for the door handle when two things happened simultaneously. The door was thrown open as the first security guard rushed onto the room, and Congressman Royce King Jr. pulled a gun out of his pocket.

My instant reaction was to grab Rosalie and dive for the floor, so I went with that. Edward also ducked, diving into the corner of the room. The security guard, a thirty-year-old father of three, reached for his own weapon as soon as he saw Royce's gun. In the chaos, and panic, Royce fired, dropping the man to the ground directly next to Rosalie and I. She screamed in terror as I looked in shock at the face of the guard I had come to know in my two years at the hospital.

The situation, which had been desperate before suddenly went up about twelve notches as I watched the man struggle for breath, his arms twitching sickly at his sides. The gun was still holstered and I briefly thought about grabbing it before I realized that I wouldn't stand a chance. The say that you never know what you will do in a life or death situation until you get there, and for me this was true, because while every instinct in my body told me to stay still and not move, I could hear Alex, the guard that I'd known since starting at the hospital gasping for breath as blood seeped from the wound on his front.

I pressed Rosalie further into the corner as I crawled a few paces towards Alex. Royce was frozen, staring at the large puddle of blood that was forming under the guard. It was deadly silent in the room; the only sounds were Rosalie's pathetic sobs and Alex's gurgling breaths.

"I have to help him," I said to Royce. "I can still help him."

Royce made no move to acknowledge me so I quickly set to work. The door was partially open, blocked that way by Alex's feet, which were lying at an odd angle from the way he fell. I could see two other security guards behind him, through the door. Their guns were drawn but they made no move to the door.

"No," Royce yelled, pointing the gun at me. "Stay where you are."

"Please," I begged. "We'll all say that this happened accidentally. Let me help him. He doesn't have to die."

"Royce," Edward said. "She's right. We'll all testify that it was an accident, that he scared you while we were talking and you grabbed your gun. Let her take him out of here. Let her help him."

"Everyone will know," Royce started to mutter over and over. Rosalie's quiet sobs grew into louder gulping wails as she cowered in the corner, shaking and staring at the injured security guard. I didn't have any more time to look at her or Royce, as I focused on Alex. I flipped him from his side to his back and ripped his button-up shirt open. The bullet had entered just below the rib cage, and I could tell from the way that the blood pulsed out, that it had hit a major artery. I pressed my hand down against the wound, trying to stem the blood flow, fighting the nausea that always accompanies the sight and smell of large quantities of blood.

"Please Royce," I said to the congressman. "I need to get him out of here and to an operating room."

"Not you," he said to me. "You need to stay here. You take him Edward. You do it."

"I can't," Edward said, looking completely frantic at the thought of leaving me here.

"You will!" Royce screamed. "You will or I will shoot her too, then where will you be. Your father is my friend... I can't hurt you."

"She is married to Emmett," Edward said desperately. "She's my sister-in-law. Let her go."

"No!" he shouted. "Either you take the man out of here or we all stay and watch him die."

"Take him, Edward," I begged. "You have to. His name is Alex, he has a wife and three kids."

"I can't leave you here, Bella," he said desperately.

"You have to," I begged him. "His oldest boy is 4, he plays t-ball. The baby is only a few months old. They need a father. Please Edward."

"Take him," Royce said. "I won't give you another chance, Cullen."

"Let her go in my place," he said to Royce. "She already has her hand in place. Let her take him."

"NO!" Royce shouted, pointing the gun in my direction.

"Bella," Edward said desperately, looking at me with a panic stricken face.

"Take him, please. He can't die," I begged Edward. "I'll be alright. You need to save him, Edward. You're his only chance."

Edward moved towards me and placed his hand over mine, covering the wound. "On three," he said, indicating for me to remove my hand on the count of three. He counted quickly and I slid my hand out as he pressed down onto the wound. He opened the door a little more, allowing me to see that there were at least eight security guards outside, as well as Jake, his tear-filled face, horrified by what was happening.

Edward shifted so that he could move Alex, while maintaining pressure on the wound. His eyes were on me the whole time and I could see the self-loathing in their depths.

"I'll be okay. Tell Emmett, I love him and that I'll see him soon," I whispered to Edward, placing my blood soaked hand on his shoulder.

He dropped his head and nodded slightly as I moved next to Rose, not even bothering to wipe the blood from my hands. I looked out as another security guard crawled forward to try to assist Edward. He grabbed onto Alex's feet and began to tug him out. Edward's desperate face was the last thing I saw before the door closed.

"So you," Royce said as the door closed. "You're married to Emmett?"

"I am," I said. "We were just married this past weekend."

"Get her over to this side of the room," he commanded, pointing the gun at us, not acknowledging my statement at all.

"Rosalie," I said. "We need to move."

"I don't want to die, Isabella," she whimpered.

"Nor do I," I said. "We have to do what he says, let's go."

I practically had to tug Rose up off the floor and when I let her go, I noticed that she was looking at the blood that I had left on her hands as I pulled her up. She stared in horror at the sticky substance coating her hands as I clenched mine, saying a silent prayer that we had been in time to save the man who didn't deserve the hand that fate, or Congressman King, had handed him.

I could hear more movement and voices outside the room as they moved to help Alex, and more people arrived with heavy footsteps, probably the police. I helped Rosalie around the puddle of blood that still covered the floor as she continued to look at the blood on her hands. She glanced at the pool of blood on the floor and shuddered in my arms, turning her face so she didn't have to see.

"Look at what you've done, Rosalie," he said. "His blood is on you, as it should be. Look at how many lives you have destroyed."

Rosalie began to cry again, looking at her hands though they were cursed in some way.

"Now, Emmett Cullen isn't going to be happy that I have his new wife here. I shouldn't make enemies with the Cullens. They are my friends," Royce said to himself. Rose grabbed onto me, latching her arms around my waist, sensing that he was going to send me out of there.

"No," she whispered, knowing that if she was left in here alone with him, the likelihood is that she wouldn't live to get out.

"But nobody will care if I only have you in here, Rosalie," he said to her. "You are worthless. Yes... If I keep Emmett's wife here, they'll be in a hurry to make a deal and get her back."

Rose's body shook with sobs for a moment before she righted herself, sitting with perfect posture, and let go of her hold on me. "It's true," she said. "You're right. Nobody will care if I live or die." She held her body rigid, facing his challenge head on. She wasn't going to go down cowering, she'd be proud to the end, or at least that's what her body language showed.

"I do," I said to her, grabbing her hand once more. "I care."

"Touching," Royce said, before glaring at Rose. "What reason have you ever given her to care for you? Have you treated her with kindness? Been a good friend?"

"None," Rose said, quietly, her shoulders sagging minutely. "I have given her no reason to care for me. I have treated her like I have treated everyone else. I was horrible to her."

"Exactly. You see, I never even liked you, really. You were pretty enough, but do you know what men call you?" he asked her. She didn't move to react to his comment but her posture slipped just a little bit more. "They call you Ice Queen," he said, laughing slightly. "And do you know why?"

Again Rosalie remained silent but the slight bow of her head did not go unnoticed by me, or Royce, who smiled as though he were enjoying her pain.

"So beautiful on the outside," he said, moving towards her, reaching out one of his perfectly manicured fingers to touch her cheek. "Every woman is probably jealous of you, aren't they, with your perfectly done long blonde hair, blue eyes and perfect figure. But inside you are cold and heartless."

Rosalie began to sob, the proud figure she had been moments before crumpling at Royce's hate.

"Do you know why I slept with you?" he said, continuing the torture as I pulled the broken woman against me, letting her sob on my shoulder. "I have been unfaithful many, many times. But do you know why I had sex with you?"

Rosalie didn't answer. She kept her head down as I felt her hot tears soak my shoulder and the sobs that wracked her body. Royce was thrilled with this reaction and I felt my anger flare at the sick man who was delighting in torturing her.

"Answer me, Bitch!" Royce yelled.

"I don't know," she whispered, her voice broken.

"I was having lunch at the club with Alexander Martin and a few of his cronies. We were laughing and talking about the social elite. How pathetic some people were, fighting to look dignified when they were anything but. Your family's name came up a few times; your pathetic alcoholic mother and wannabe father that had a brain the size of a pea. That's when you walked in, dining alone as usual, nobody wanting to spend time with you if they didn't have to. Alexander said that the only person in your family that was worth anything was Jasper, because he had spent more time growing up with the Cullens, than with your family. 'What's her excuse?' Alexander had laughed. Then he made me a bet, you see he knew of my womanizing ways and he bet me that you were frigid," Royce said with an evil chuckle. "I told him I'd take his bet. After all, it isn't hard to get a woman like you's attention. So he said he'd give me fifty thousand dollars, and all I had to do was get you into bed. So I set up a meeting with your pathetic excuse for a father, inviting the whole family. Jasper was out of town, but that didn't matter. You looked mighty fine, tight black dress and fuck me heels, delighting in showing me your body. So I paid you a little extra attention and you were eating out of my hand. Mommy and Daddy were so drunk by the end of the night; they didn't even notice that I gave you a key to my suite. I must say that you were mighty fine in there, a real sex kitten. Milton sure enjoyed the view. He even tossed in an extra ten G since you put on such a fine show."

Rosalie sobbed in earnest now, and I watched as Royce smiled at her pain. He really was a sick son of a bitch. The phone in my pocket vibrated, letting me know I had a call coming in. I held it in my hand, knowing it was Emmett, wishing I could answer it but not daring to. Tears came to my eyes, as I worried about how my husband of just a few days must be feeling. As the vibrating stopped, Royce began his rant again.

"I decided that I might as well keep on using you. The sex was good, and you shouldn't have been an issue. You were marrying Cullen, so I knew that you wouldn't get all clingy. Then this..." he said, his voice shaking, as he pointed towards her still flat abdomen.

"I'm sorry," Rosalie sobbed.

"Sorry. Sorry?" he yelled as my phone began to vibrate again. "You ruined my life and you tell me you're sorry. You forced me to kill someone and you're sorry?"

The phone in the room began to ring and Royce looked at it fearfully. "Who's calling?" he asked.

"I don't know," I told him, knowing that it was likely someone with the Seattle police, but not daring to face his wrath.

"Who knows this number?" he asked.

"Any call to the rooms has to be put through the switchboard," I said. "It could be anyone."

The phone continued to ring as he paced back and forth, muttering to himself under his breath. After a few minutes, I could see him getting even more agitated by the constant ringing. Usually the switchboard would time a call out after five rings, so I knew that this was the police. He moved to look out the window, trying to ignore the incessant ringing. Since the hospital was U shaped, and we were on the inside of that U, you could only see the other part of the building, and a little bit of the ground below. Whatever Royce saw, he didn't like and he grabbed the curtains, pulling them closed with a quick sharp tug. Then he went over to the door, pulling a chair over and bracing it against the door. Finally he went into the small attached bathroom and quickly closed the curtains in there. My phone vibrated in my pocket again and I felt my eyes begin to tear. I was so afraid for my poor husband, and for Edward. If anything happened to me, I knew he'd blame himself.

"Answer the phone," Royce said to me. "Tell them I'm not ready to talk to them yet."

"Okay," I said, moving to the phone.

"Hello," I said.

"This is the Seattle Police Department, my name is Sgt. Mike Taylor. Who am I speaking to?" he said.

"He's asking who he's speaking to," I told Royce.

"Tell him whatever he want to know," Royce said.

"Congressman King says he's not ready to speak to you yet," I said.

"Who is in the room with you?" the sargent asked.

"Rosalie Hale and Congressman King," I answered looking at Royce to make sure it was okay.

"Just go ahead," Royce said. "Just answer whatever he asks."

"Is anyone hurt?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Rosalie and I are unharmed, the only injury was to the security guard that has already been taken from the room."

"What is the situation in there?" he asked.

"Rosalie and I are sitting together on the bed. Congressman King has been walking around the room. He has the door braced and all the curtains shut. He has a gun, though he isn't pointing it at anyone," I said, nervous that I was going to say something to piss him off.

"Why is he doing this?" he asked. "Does he have any demands?"

"He wants to know why you're doing this and if you have any demands," I told Royce.

"I am doing this because Rosalie Hale has destroyed my life. What are my demands? I want my life back. I was going to be the president, I had a plan," he said.

"Did you hear him or shall I repeat?" I asked the officer.

"I heard him. Do you need anything in the room, food, drinks... anything?" he asked.

"Do you want anything?" I asked Royce. "Food or drink..."

"No," he said. "I just need time to think."

"I heard him," the officer said. "Are you and Rosalie okay?"

"We're fine," I said. "Can you get a message to someone?"

"Who?" he asked.

"My husband, Emmett Cullen. Tell... tell him that I love him," I said, beginning to tear up.

"I will," he promised. "Your family has been contacted, as has Miss Hale's."

"My father?" I asked.

"Yes," he said.

My poor father; I knew he'd be almost frantic. He was never one to show a lot of emotion, but for a long time, I was all he had. Even though I was grown and living four hours away, I was still his Baby Girl. I think I can count the number of times that he'd called me Bella or Isabella on one hand. It was always Baby Girl, which was why Jacob called me that, and Billy... and even most of the guys on the reserve. It had to have been a rough week for him, first he hears, from reporters no less, that his daughter has run off and gotten married to some multi-millionaire, then he hears from Seattle police that I am being held at gunpoint in some sick hostage standoff.

As I thought of my dad, I though back to all the things he'd taught me over the years. From learning to punch properly... _Thumb on the outside, Baby Girl,_to how to use the pepper spray I always had in my purse... _Make sure that the nozzle is pointed away from you._ Some of them were silly... _Make sure that your dates know that someone is waiting for you at home,_and some of them were lessons that had actually been useful... _Make sure your car doors are locked at all times and check the backseat before you get in the car_. I remembered back to when I was first moving to California, alone. He was beyond frantic, worried that I was so far away in a big city, and would end up some statistic in a crime. He had tried to bribe Jake to go with me, which of course he did a year later when he couldn't stand the separation either. He was so thrilled when I was posted to Seattle, close to home. Washington's crime rate was much lower than California's; he didn't count on this happening here.

"He's being brought to Seattle now, Dr. Cullen," the police officer said to me interrupting my thoughts, momentarily at least.

I thought about all the things he told me to be prepared for..._Remember, Bella, if you're ever trapped in a dangerous situation keep the perp talking about something that's important to them. Make sure they remember that they have something to live for._Hopefully that would help now, I trusted that my daddy knew what he was talking about. He may only have been a small town cop, but he was born for the job. Billy always teased that when he was cut he bled blue.

"Can you give him a message for me," I asked.

"I will," he said.

"Tell him I remember what he told me," I said.

"I will get him that message right away," he said.

"Rose, do you have a message you want to send?" I asked.

"No," she said softly. "Nobody will even care."

"Got that right," Royce sneered. "Nobody will even miss you."

"Yes they will," I said, ignoring the phone momentarily. "Jasper will miss you. Your parents, your friends..."

"I just cause trouble. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me," she said.

I didn't argue with her, because what could I say? No, it has nothing to do with you... that wasn't totally true. No, I'm here because this guy is a maniac... far truer but not likely going to go over well with the gun-toting maniac. My hands were literally tied, so I stayed silent.

"I'm tired," Royce said, breaking into my internal monologue. I pulled the phone from my face and put it down, face up on the table, hoping that the officer would still hear everything. If Royce noticed he didn't say.

"Why don't you take the bed," I said. "You can lie down there and get comfortable. Rosalie and I will sit in the chairs."

"No," he said, glaring at me.

"Okay," I said shrugging my shoulders, like it was unimportant.

"Why would you want me to be comfortable anyway? I am holding you at gunpoint," he said.

"I won't lie and tell you that it doesn't matter. I won't tell you that I don't want to get out of here. I do, more than anything. I haven't had anywhere near enough time with my husband. I have a great best friend, an awesome family and my new family is growing on me too," I said. "I am sure you have those things too."

"I did," he said.

"You said you have a wife and kids, didn't you?" I asked him.

"Yeah, my wife Marie and I have two kids. Royce III is four and Kathryn is two," he said, smiling at the thought of his kids. I smiled to myself, relieved that he had a positive reaction to my question.

"I want to have kids someday," I said to him. "They say it's an incredible feeling."

"It is," he agreed. "It was like my life finally had meaning when my first child was born. R.J, that's what we call Royce III, waits for me to get home everyday. He loves to just sit in my office and watch me do my thing, waiting until I can have a few minutes to play with him. And Katiebug is my princess. She's only two but she loves to wear dresses and have pretties in her hair. My wife bought her these little plastic high heels and she wears them everywhere, even to bed. The sound they make as they clip-clop across the hardwood floors is awful but she loves them, so I deal."

"They sound like incredible kids," I said.

"They are," he said. "They're my whole world."

"Do they look like you?" I asked.

"RJ looks just like me, and Katie looks just like her mama but with my dark hair," he said. "Do you want to see a picture?"

"I'd love to," I said.

He pulled out his wallet and showed me a picture of his wife and children, posing together with smiles on all three faces. His wife was very pretty. She had gentle dainty features. His son was an exact replica of the man that stood in front of me and his daughter was an exact replica of her mother, except with her father's dark hair. They looked like they would be the advertisement for the photo studio, or the picture that comes in a new wallet to show you what could be there.

"My wife has a picture taken of the three of them every six months, so I can see them when I am on the road," he said.

"You must miss them when you are away," I said.

"I do," he agreed.

He went on talking about his wife and kids for over an hour before finally agreeing to switch spots with Rose and I. He told me to sit on the chair but he wanted Rose to sit on the floor, like the dog she was. Rose didn't argue and I could see that his words had truly torn her down. She didn't say a single word in the time that he spoke, either too afraid to offend him, or too wounded to care. The self-assured woman, that I met only days ago, was gone. The quick-witted, sharp-tongued harpy was replaced by a quivering little girl that was questioning all she'd ever known.

I watched as the light outside began to fade, through the cracks in the curtains. I had no real idea of how long we had been in the room. It could have been minutes or hours. My stomach growled slightly but I didn't dare to ask Royce for anything. He was calm and the gun was back in his pocket, as we alternated between talking and silence, anger and sadness. Once Rose was on the floor, he ignored her completely, acting like she wasn't in the room at all. I figured that was best for all of us, so I refrained from making any mention of her, or even looking in her direction. I even got him talking politics and policies, finding an articulate man that really had hopes to change the future.

"The... the man that I shot... he had a family?" he asked after a while, his eyes seemingly fighting sleep.

"He did," I said. "His wife just gave birth to their third child a few months ago."

"Oh," he said softly. "What was his name?"

"His name IS Alex," I said. "His wife's name is Sandy. She is so sweet and bakes the most sinful brownies. Their oldest child is four, like R.J. His name is Kevin, he wants to be a doctor when he's older so I sent him a medical kit with some real equipment in it. He plays with the stethoscope all the time, Alex told me. Krystal is only just over one, just a baby herself. They thought they were done when all of a sudden Kassidy decided that she was going to add herself to the family. She was actually born on Krystal's birthday, so they're only a year apart."

"How do you know so much about people?" he asked, looking at me.

"I listen," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Most doctors don't even listen to their patients, yet you know the security guard's life story," he said. "Most doctors are so full of their own superiority..."

"Why should I think that I am more important than him?" I asked. "Doctor, lawyer, waitress, security guard, or president of the US, we're all people. I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everyone else. It was nice to walk down the street and know everyone. I could always tell when Mrs. Cope got her hair done, and I knew when Rev. Weber's son broke his arm. In a lot of ways I miss that, so I look for it in my life."

"I don't even know my neighbor's name," he said, frowning.

"I know everyone on my floor in my apartment building," I said, "and quite a few others in the building. Everyone has a story."

"You are truly a good person," he said. "I... I am sorry about this."

"Me too," I said.

"I just don't know how to fix it anymore," he said.

"I don't either," I said.

"It kills me that RJ and Katie are going to have to grow up without me," he said.

"I get that," I said. "I know you didn't mean to shoot, Alex. If you let us go, maybe it will go a lot easier on you."

"Do you think?" he asked.

"I do," I said.

"I'm scared that when my wife learns about Rosalie... she'll never let me even talk to the kids anymore," he said.

"She can't keep them from you completely, from a legal standpoint. But, I guess that divorce would be a logical consequence to your actions," I said.

"How did it all get so messed up?" he asked, putting his head in his hands.

"I don't know," I said, honestly.

"Do you think they'll let me talk to my son?" he asked pointing to the phone that was still off the hook. "I need to tell him that I made a mistake and that I have to go away for a while. I need to tell him that I love him no matter what."

"All you can do is ask," I said, not knowing if they would let him speak to his son because of his age and the situation.

"Maybe you and HER can leave now... and then I can talk to him before I come out," he said, motioning to Rosalie, who was curled into a ball against the wall.

"As soon as we leave, they'll come in," I said.

"I'll block the door again," he said. "I just want to speak to my family before I turn myself in."

"That sounds good," I said to him. "Here's my cell phone, in case they won't let you use the landline."

"Thank you," he said. "You're a good person. Emmett is a lucky man."

"I'm lucky too," I said. "He's all I could ever ask for."

"Can you give Carlisle a message for me?" he asked.

"I can," I said.

"Tell him I said thank you for being a friend, and that I'm sorry for what I did," he said.

"I'll let him know," I said.

I stood up and he shook my hand, Rosalie stood too, but cowered behind me. We walked towards the door, careful to avoid the puddle of blood congealed on the floor. As we got there, he pulled the chair away and stood behind the door.

"They're coming out," he yelled as he opened the door.

He opened the door all the way and I pushed Rosalie ahead of me, making sure that she got out of the room. Once I stepped out of the room, the door was slammed behind me, and I could hear the chair being wedged against the door again.

As soon as we were out, we were each grabbed by a member of the SWAT team and pulled away from the room. The officer that grabbed me dragged me over against a wall down the hall a little ways from the room where I'd been held captive. I saw Rosalie a few feet away with another officer. She smiled softly at me, mouthing 'thank you', before a second officer got my attention. He began questioning me quickly.

"Are you injured?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"Who is left in the room?" he asked.

"Just the congressman," I said.

He tried to ask me some more, but all I cared about was finding my husband.

"Where's Emmett?" I asked. "I need to find my husband."

"Just hold on," the officer said. "We need to ask you..."

"Please, later," I said. "I haven't even been married a week. I will answer anything you need after I see my husband."

He sighed in resignation and nodded at the first officer. The officer who had dragged me so roughly away from the room the first time, led me gently towards a conference room at the far end of the floor. When he got to the door, he said, "I'll be waiting just outside."

I pushed the door open slowly, not knowing who was inside. Every eye was focused on the door as it opened, but once my eyes landed on Emmett, I didn't even notice who else was there.

"Bella," Emmett said, crossing the room in two steps and sweeping me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and my legs around his waist, anxious to be as close to him as I could. Nothing mattered but him and I, not the fact that there were others in the room, and not the fact that I was caked in someone else's blood.

"I love you," I said to him as I leaned against him, relaxing fully for the first time since the whole ordeal had begun. "I love you so much."

"I was so scared, I thought..." he started to say, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I'm okay," I told him, pulling my head from his shoulder and looking up at him. "This isn't my blood. I'm perfectly fine."

He simply crushed me to him tighter, whispering how much he loved me and how sorry he was, like he had any say in what had just happened. I just relaxed against him, telling him over and over that I was okay.

"Okay, best friend needs a hug too!" Jake yelled, finally breaking into my consciousness.

"So does the father," I heard my dad say.

Emmett put me down, kissed me softly, and gave me a little dimpled grin. This was so not the way I had planned for him to meet my dad. I smiled up at him before turning to look at everyone. The line-up was impressive. Jake was the first one I saw. His massive form, wearing a set of Snoopy scrubs was hard to miss. Next to him, still in his Forks police uniform, was my dad. He still had the crease in his forehead he gets when he's worried or stressed. I couldn't tell what he was feeling by the expression on his face, but that was normal for him. I was vaguely aware that all the Cullens were there, but found myself moving in the direction of my father.

"Daddy," I said to him, as I stopped right in front of him. I was fighting tears as I smiled slightly at him. "I remembered. I remembered everything you told me."

"I knew you would, Baby Girl. I knew you'd be okay," he said, as tears began to stream down his cheeks.

I reached my arms forward to hug him, not certain how he would react, as we have never really been all that touchy-feely and we were in a room full of people. He hauled me into his arms, hugging me with almost as much force as Emmett had.

"I love you, baby Girl," he said. "Thank you for being okay."

"I love you too, Daddy," I said, tears slipping down my cheeks. "You told me what to do and I did it."

He let me go, almost as fast as he hugged me, and wiped the tears from his cheeks, seeming almost embarrassed by his show of emotion. I guess you can't look weak in front of the new son-in-law that you plan to try to put the fear of 'Daddy' into. I hugged Jake next and he did his most dramatic performance so far. He hugged me tightly, lifting me from the ground and blubbered about why he should have been with me in there. He put me down, looked at me and picked me up to hug me again, sobbing like a baby. When he finally recovered somewhat, placing his arm around my father, I turned to look at the other Cullens. I didn't even take a step when Esme launched herself against me, hugging me tightly.

"He would have been so lost without you," she said, crying softly. "We all would have been."

Once she peeled herself off me, she hugged Carlisle, sobbing in what I guess was relief. My arms weren't even empty for two seconds when Alice launched her petite frame at me. "I only got to know my new sister and I almost lost you," she sobbed, giving Jake a run for his money. When Alice finally let go, Jasper swept me into his arms, thanking me quietly for protecting his sister. "I know she didn't deserve it for how she's treated you, but thank you, Edward told us what you'd done for her."

"She didn't deserve to be treated that way, no matter how she's ever acted. You need to go to her, though. He was terrible to her, and though I'm pretty certain that she's fine physically, he did a number on her mentally," I whispered to Jasper, who got a pained look on his face. I watched as he moved to Alice, whispering in her ear. She nodded solemnly and they headed for the door.

Carlisle moved in front of me next, causing me to jerk in surprise. He looked at me warily as he held his arms out to me to hug me. I decided that now was not the time to deal with our issues and I stepped into his tentative embrace. "I'm so sorry. I had no clue that he would react so strongly," he said, his voice cracking. "I wanted to warn him, to give him a chance to deal on his terms. I never thought that he'd harm anyone."

"It's okay," I said. "I know you aren't responsible for this. He gave me a message for you."

"He did," he said, pulling back from the embrace.

"He said to thank you for being a friend and that he was sorry for what he'd done," I said.

"He isn't a bad man, just desperate," Carlisle said.

"I know," I said stepping back and finding my husband's arms around me again.

I looked around the room from the comfort of his embrace, looking for Edward. I finally noticed him on the far side of the room, he was still wearing his blood soaked lab coat, and he wasn't even looking at me or anyone else. I looked up at Emmett, asking with my eyes what was up.

"He's not taking any of this well," he said.

"Is it Alex?" I whispered up at him, thinking of the security guard for the first time since I left the room. He shook his head no, and I watched a look of concern cross his face.

"Talk to Ed, please," he said. "He won't listen to anyone else."

I smiled up at him softly and placed a kiss on his lips before moving across the room to talk to Edward. He didn't even look at me or acknowledge my presence as I stood next to him, but kept staring out into the darkened Seattle sky. I placed my hand on his shoulder, to let him know I was there and I felt and heard him sigh. I looked over my shoulder momentarily, noticing that everyone had stayed on the far side of the room and had now busied themselves with conversation, doing what they could to give us some privacy.

"Hell of a second day," I said to him.

He just looked at me, staring into my eyes, but gave no reaction at all to my statement.

"That was supposed to be funny," I said to him, moving to stand in front of him.

"I know," he said softly.

"How's Alex?" I asked.

"He's in ICU recovering from surgery. You saved him, you know," he said.

"We saved him," I countered. He didn't seem to like that statement, as his forehead creased with a frown and he ran his not so clean hands, through his hair. "Edward."

"I left you behind," he said, looking right at me. "I chose to save myself and I left you behind. I never should have done that."

"You had to, Edward. It wasn't a choice," I said, bending down so he had to look at me. "You didn't have a choice. I know that as well as you do. You tried to get me out, but he wouldn't let me go. You leaving and taking Alex, it was the only chance Alex had."

"You must be so angry at me," he said, looking at the ground.

"I'm not," I promised, as I put my hand on his chin, forcing him to look at me, before I moved to grab his hands, which he had been wringing together. "We both did what we had to do in order to keep Alex and ourselves alive. He calmed down after you left. He was beating himself up for what he'd done. He had some harsh things to say to Rosalie but I got him to talk about his family."

"You were in there for eight hours, Bella," he said, loudly and I could see Esme's look of concern. "It should have been me. I should have insisted."

"You couldn't have done anything, Edward," I said, just as loud, focusing my eyes on him. "Any more argument would have set him even more on edge. We needed to get Alex out to get him help, and to calm the situation. Arguing with him anymore would have gotten someone else shot, and Alex would have certainly died. Edward you did what you had to do, just as I did."

"Then why did I feel so damned helpless?" he asked, looking at me.

"I know you didn't want to leave me behind. You tried, and then you did what you had to do to save Alex. Had the situation been reversed and he had told me to leave, I would have hated it, but I would have gone, to save him, hoping and praying that the situation would calm down."

"But I didn't know what was happening, and I was left to tell my brother that I abandoned you in that room," he said.

I didn't see Emmett moving across the room to join us. I didn't see anything, except Edward until Emmett's hands wrapped around my waist from behind me as he dropped to his knees to look at his brother.

"I'm not mad at you Edward. I wasn't ever mad. I was scared as hell, but I know you, Bro. I knew that you wouldn't have left her if you had any real choice," he said to his brother.

"But I walked away..." Edward said, looking up at his brother, tears in his eyes.

"You had to, Ed. You saved a man's life by doing that," Emmett said.

"He has a wife and three kids, Edward. We couldn't have let him die. We needed to fight for him like he tried to fight for us. I did all I could from there, but he wouldn't let me go. I know you tried, Edward, I saw it on your face. You begged him to let me go in your place. He would never have let me, no matter how much you asked. You did the right thing," I said.

"Maybe..." he said, dropping his head to the floor.

"Everything happens for a reason, Edward. I believe that more now than ever before," I said. "I promise I'm okay. He didn't lay a finger on me, never pointed a gun at me..."

We were silent for a minute as Edward stared at our joined hands.

"And you seem to have overcome your aversion to blood," he said, moving his gaze to my blood soaked clothes.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," I said, smiling slightly.

"You really don't hate me for leaving you in there?" he asked looking me in the eye.

"Never," I said, looking him right in the eye, hoping he could see the sincerity in my eyes. "Thank you for doing what you did. It kept Alex alive."

He just nodded, still not entirely convinced.

"Do I get a hug?" I asked him.

"Sure," he said, pulling me to my feet and standing to give me a brotherly hug.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked.

"I guess," he said, nodding his head slightly.

"Hell of a second day," I said again.

"I worked two years back east, some of it in an inner city emergency room, and I wasn't held hostage at gunpoint even once. What kind of outfit are you working in here?" he asked with a slight smile, finally joking back.

"Hey," I said, smiling at him. "I'll have you know that this kind of thing never happened here before. You must have been dragging it in with you."

He laughed with me and I hugged him again, Emmett stood behind me and placed his hands on my hips. I took Edward's hand and hauled him over to join the rest of the group. Emmett moved with me, not wanting to let go of the hold he had on me.

"So, Dad," I said, in an uncharacteristically bold move. "I guess you've met the in-laws."

"You're still in trouble for this Vegas wedding thing, Baby Girl. I was supposed to walk you down the aisle," he said.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, grinning at my father as Emmett wrapped his arms around me.

He was about to say something else when a large bang sounded. Another gunshot. I closed my eyes, and shivered, knowing in my heart that Congressman Royce King Jr. had shot himself.


	9. Taking Care of Bella Cullen

I cringed at the sound and ducked my head into Emmett.

"What the fuck?" Emmett asked. "Was that a gunshot?"

I nodded my head against him. I had heard that sound before.

"Bella, Baby are you okay?" he asked me.

"He had kids, Em," I said, starting to cry. "He had two kids that he loved. That loved him."

"Shh," he soothed, wrapping his arms around me.

I just sobbed against him, finally feeling the weight of the day. He just held me, whispering into my ear, how much he loved me. I didn't notice when everyone else left, trying to give us some privacy, or anything else. I just stood in my husband's arms and cried. When I had finally emptied myself of tears, I looked up at Em.

"I'm sorry," I sniffled.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked me.

"You are covered in tears and dried blood..." I said without looking up at him.

He used his hand and pulled my chin up so I was looking at him. "Nothing is more important to me than you. The shirt can be cleaned or tossed. I don't care. I love you and I am just thankful that I got to hold you again."

"I was so worried about you when I was in there," I told him honestly.

"You were locked in a room with a gun toting lunatic who had already shot one person, and you were worried about me?" he asked.

I nodded my head.

"Sweetheart, I was worried about you," he said. "The only danger I was in out here was meeting your daddy without you, and thankfully he was too concerned about you to say more than a few words to me."

The tears started again as I looked up at him. "I didn't know if I was going to get to see you again," I told him.

"I knew I would see you again," he said. "I couldn't believe otherwise."

He wrapped his arms around me and kept cooing sweet nothings to me. In his arms I was safe and I stood there relishing the feeling. I could have stood there forever.

"Excuse us, Sir, Ma'am," a young officer said, putting his head in the door. "We need to bring Dr. Swan-Cullen in to be questioned."

"Dr. Cullen," Emmett corrected, making me smile. "Can't it wait?"

"No, Sir," he said.

"She's been through one hell of a day," Emmett said as I felt him tense against my body. "What she needs is to get home, have some food, a nice relaxing bath and a sleep before any of you ask her anything more."

"Sir, procedure..." he started to say.

"Is Royce King dead?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir, but..." the officer started to say.

"There is absolutely no reason why the interview needs to be conducted now. Did you know that she hasn't eaten since before seven o'clock this morning? Combine that with all the stress that she's been through, and I need to take care of my wife before you ask her anything," Emmett said firmly.

"Sir," he started to argue.

"Officer, I appreciate that you have a job to do. I do, too. My job is to take care of my wife, and I take that job very, very seriously. My family has gone to arrange a meal for all of us. Now, I know that Police Chief Charlie Swan is talking to some of your people. Since he is her father, I will allow him, and only him, to overrule my decision. If you choose not to go that route, my wife and I will be at the station at ten o'clock tomorrow morning," Emmett said, firmly.

"Yes, Sir," the officer said, with a big sigh.

"Are you ready to go, Beautiful?" Emmett asked as the door closed behind the officer.

"Where?" I asked him.

"To the estate?" he replied, more as a question than as a response.

"Won't there be reporters outside, Em?" I asked. "I am covered in blood..."

"Sweetheart," he said. "I'll make sure that you don't see a single reporter, and that none will see you. Trust me?"

"I do," I said, looking up into his eyes.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "Oh, thank God," he said.

"What?" I asked him.

"They had all cell signals blocked. I couldn't get a line out at all," he said.

"You called me a few times," I said, confused.

"I did," he said. "That was before they jammed the signals."

"So leaving my cell with Royce did nothing?" I asked.

He simply shook his head no.

"He wanted to talk to his son. Do you think they would let him?" I asked.

"Maybe. It depends what the negotiator on the phone would allow," Emmett said.

"All I know is that the negotiator got a play-by-play of the entire event," I said.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked.

"When the phone rang, Royce asked me to answer it. I did. I talked to them for a bit then placed the phone down, face up, so they could hear everything that was going on in the room," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"That's perfect," he said. "They wouldn't tell us much, only that the situation was calm. They kept clapping Charlie on the back and telling him what a smart daughter he raised. That was brilliant, Baby."

There was a knock on the door, and Carlisle peeked his head in.

"Emmett," he said, still sounding uncertain.

"What?" Emmett asked, bristling slightly under me.

"We have a limo in the garage so you can take Bella home. The garage is clear of reporters and Felix is driving," he said.

"We're clear to leave?" I asked.

"When your father heard that they were trying to insist upon interviewing you tonight, he just about blew a gasket," Carlisle chuckled. "Before he was done, all the officers were kowtowing to him. The man can be scary when he wants to be."

I just nodded and smiled slightly.

"Where is he staying tonight?" I asked.

"We offered him a room at the estate. Jake is staying there, too," Carlisle answered.

"Oh, okay," I said.

"I'll see you two tomorrow," Carlisle said. "Demetri is picking the rest of us up."

"Thanks, Dad," Emmett said, cradling me to his chest. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Almost," I said.

"Almost?" he asked.

"I have to do something before I leave," I said.

He looked at me for a moment, maybe judging how firm I was on this thing I had to do before I left. He finally sighed in resignation, apparently seeing that I wouldn't be swayed. "As long as I can stay with you," he said.

"Works for me," I said, taking his hand and walking towards the door. It was a lot harder than I expected to open the door and walk out into the halls again. I don't know what I was expecting or why my heart raced the way it did, I only knew that I was not going to walk towards the area where I had spent my day, and where Royce took his life. Instead, I lead Emmett past the officers that were still lining the halls to a small service passage that connected the two towers of the hospital. It was reserved for staff only and I was thankful that it was deserted. Once we were on the far side, I led him down three flights of stairs.

The hospital was quiet, far more quiet than I'd ever seen it, and I realized a lot of patients must have been moved to other floors, and other hospitals to avoid the incident with Royce. The few people that I did see all looked at me with a combination of awe, and macabre fascination. I guess my attire did nothing to minimize their curiosity, only making it more intense. As we exited the stairwell, it became obvious to Emmett where we were going, if he hadn't figured it out before.

There were medical staff all over this floor, the Intensive Care Unit, and I nodded or waved to everyone we passed. I was thankful that nobody approached me and wanted to hear my story, I wasn't ready for all of that. I walked to the desk, looking for a nurse. I needed to know how Alex was doing.

"Dr. Swan?" a young surgical resident asked, coming out of the office behind the nurses' station.

"Hi, Dr. Simon," I said softly. "It's actually Cullen now. This is my husband, Emmett."

"Hello, Mr. Cullen," she said politely. "I'm Dr. Simon."

"Nice to meet you," he said. He had a hold of my hand and he wasn't going to let me go to offer his hand to Dr. Simon. She didn't even seem to notice as all her focus was on me.

"Did I hear correctly?" she asked, staring at me. I felt myself bristle slightly under her intense gaze.

"It depends what you heard," I said, shrugging my shoulders and mentally preparing for her questions.

"That you were being held at gunpoint up on 7East," she said, cutting straight to the point.

"Yeah," I said, looking to my blood-caked clothes. "That's definitely true."

"Holy shit! Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes getting as big as saucers.

"I have certainly been better, but at least none of this blood is mine," I said. "That's actually why I'm here. I came to check on Alex."

"I just came from his room," she said, leading us down the corridor to the window outside his room. I looked in to see him, tubes and wires coming from every bit of exposed skin. Emmett stood behind me silently, pulling me into his arms.

"What's the prognosis?" I asked.

"Honestly? He's one hell of a lucky man. He lost a lot of blood and he was really torn apart. It took them six hours to get anywhere but he made it through with flying colors. If it had happened anywhere but at the hospital he wouldn't have stood a chance," she said.

I sighed in relief, knowing that Edward and I had done the right thing. I was so focused on the man in the bed that I hadn't seen his ashen faced wife, sitting beside him. She must have seen me at the window, because she stood up and waved slightly, moving towards the window.

"Bella," she said as she stepped out of the room.

"Sandy," I said, hugging her awkwardly. "How are you holding up?" it was only awkward because Emmett maintained his hold on my hips, needing the contact as much as I did, I think.

"I don't know," she replied, tears filling her blue eyes. "The doctors say that he is doing well, but I'm so scared."

"He's in great hands here," I said.

"I know," she said. "How did this happen? Why Alex?"

"I don't know," I responded, more to the second question then the first.

"This was supposed to be a safe job. He had wanted to be a cop, but I said I couldn't take it. It was too dangerous. This was supposed to be safe. I thought he was safe here," she sobbed.

"Shh," I soothed, pulling her close. She held onto me, sobbing onto my shoulder as both Dr. Simon and Emmett moved back, giving us some space. She recovered her composure, sniffling somewhat as Emmett grabbed a box of Kleenex from the small table nearby, offering it to both of us.

"Is it true?" she asked as she dabbed her eyes.

"Depends what you're asking," I said, not wanting to get into this with her but she needed answers. I steeled myself to provide what information I could.

"That it was Congressman King?" she asked. I looked at Emmett for confirmation of what I was supposed to say, he nodded and mouthed that it was all over the TV.

"Yeah," I said.

"You were there, right?" she said, looking at me with her tear filled eyes, as the tears once again started making tracks down her cheeks.

"Yeah, I was about two feet away," I said, feeling a tear slip down my cheek as well.

"Did he... did he say anything?" she asked, her lip trembling as she twisted the Kleenex in her hand. She didn't bother to try to dry the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

"No," I said. "I'm sorry. He dropped so fast..." I couldn't say anymore as I could feel the panic begin to rise in me. I had dealt with everything to that point and I could feel the weight of the situation finally resting on me. I felt like my knees were going to collapse from under me as I struggled to stay calm. Just when I thought I was going to land in a heaping puddle of tears on the floor, Emmett wrapped me in his arms, pulled me in tight, allowing my back to rest against his chest. When I didn't have the strength myself, he gave me his. I looked up to him and gave him a smile, mouthing "Thanks", before I turned my attention back to Sandy.

"Is that... Is that from Alex?" she said, motioning to my blood-caked clothes.

"Yeah," I said, looking at her sadly as she blanched at my confirmation. "Right after he was shot, I was right there and I had to do what I could, trying to stop the bleeding before Dr. Edward Cullen was able to get him out of the room."

"I met Dr. Cullen... he came down here to check on Alex about thirty minutes ago," she said.

I smiled and I felt Emmett give me a little squeeze. Neither of us were surprised by Edward's actions.

"Who is with your kids?" I asked her.

"My mother," she said. "She's here visiting from Victoria right now. She was trying to help me since Alex was working such long hours, trying to get in all the overtime he can, so that we could get out of our apartment and into a house. He wanted the kids to have a yard."

My heart lurched at her confession and I felt so sorry for both of them as they had struggled to make a better life for themselves and their kids

"If you need anything, give me a call," I told her. "Oh... I can't give you my cell phone number... I don't have it right now,"

"Here's mine," Emmett said, writing it down on a piece of paper that Dr. Simon provided.

"Don't be afraid to call," I said to her.

"Thank you, Bella," she said, smiling sadly. "Thank you for helping him."

"Any time," I said.

She returned to the room and Dr. Simon looked at me, obviously wanting to ask a question.

"How did you know they had kids?" she asked finally. I expected her to ask something medical, or more likely something to do with what had happened in the room, not that.

"Let me ask you a question," I said to her, deciding that honestly was better than the snarky comment that I wanted to use.

"Okay," she said.

"You've been here for a little over a year, right? How many people do you know at the hospital?" I asked her.

"Quite a few," she answered.

"Not just a person you can say hello to in passing, but people that you know something about, outside of the hospital," I clarified. She seemed to be thinking about my question, which was what I wanted. She could have been flaky about it and refused to listen to what I was saying.

"Maybe twenty," she said, shrugging. "I know a lot of the other interns and residents, plus some of the attendings on the surgical floor."

"How many of those twenty are nurses, janitors, security guards, lab techs or other support staff?" I asked her. She pursed her lips, obviously thinking about it. Emmett paused and wrapped his arms around me again.

"Maybe two..." she said.

"Why?" I asked her.

She seemed to ponder my question before she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she said, almost silently.

"Every person here has a job to do, and without any one of them, I couldn't do my job effectively. What makes me or my job superior to a nurse, or even a security guard?"

"I never thought about it like that," she said.

"Everyone deserves to be validated, to think that they are important to you. It doesn't matter if the person is the janitor that keeps the floors clean, the lab tech that works to find us the results on tests we order, the nurse that does all the grunt work when we need things done, or the security guard who tries to insure that we have a safe place to be. Without any one person, this whole place would fail," I said.

"Wow," she said, looking at me.

"How many times have we spoken before today?" I asked her.

"I don't know, maybe a handful," she said.

"And until I introduced you to my husband, what did you know about me?" I asked.

"I think you said you went to school in California... Stanford, maybe?" she said, questioning her last statement.

"That's right," I told her. "Do you want to know what I know about you?"

"Okay," she said, looking rather speculative.

"You went to school at Washington State, fighting against boys who assumed they were smarter than you because they outnumbered the females in your school 8 to 1. You graduated with honors and were offered many different placements but chose here to be close to your boyfriend, or fiance by the look of the tan line on your left hand. You guys have been together for over four years. He just got a permanent job at Children's Hospital and you guys are looking for an apartment somewhere in between the two hospitals as you are hoping to get posted here when you complete your internship," I said.

She simply gawked at me.

"I didn't even think you'd remember my name," she said.

"I do, Claire," I said. "I chose to call you Dr. Simon as a formality."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," she said.

"That's just your co-workers," I said to her. "Imagine how your patients will feel if you take the time to learn things about them, how much fear and anguish you can calm if you talk about their kids, or even their cat. When a patient isn't just his or her condition, or a case, they are more at ease and easier to deal with."

"I never..." she said, trailing off.

"Don't be afraid to let people know that you care," I said to her.

"I won't," she said. "Did they teach you that at Stanford?"

"No," I laughed. "Just a life lesson I learned in Forks, Washington."

She smiled at me and I smiled back, leaning into Emmett for support.

"I guess I should let you go, now," she said. "You look dead on your feet."

"I feel it, too," I said. "Have a good night."

"Nite," she said replied, not turning away.

Emmett turned us and guided me down the hall away from the ICU, quietly, following the signs to the elevators. Every time we passed someone, I felt their eyes on me and I snuggled into Emmett for support. Once we were inside the elevator he pulled me in so I could lean on him again.

"You are an incredible person, Mrs. Cullen," he said as he rubbed my back.

"I love you, Em," I said leaning into him further, feeling myself relax completely.

"I love you, Bella," he replied. "You've taken care of everyone else all day. It's time for me to take care of you."

"I..." I started to try to argue, but he lowered his head and kissed me softly.

"Please," he said. "Let me."

I couldn't argue anymore, partly due to the emotional exhaustion of the day, and partly because it sounded perfect. I didn't respond to him except to allow my body to melt into his. When the elevator opened to the parking garage, Emmett swept me up bridal style and carried me to the car. I didn't protest at all.

The limo was the same style as the one we had used in Vegas and I blushed as he tucked us into the back of the car.

"What's got your beautiful cheeks so flushed?" Emmett asked, grinning at me. _Damn, I love those dimples!_

I bit my lip and smiled up at him before responding. "This is only my second time in a limo," I said, blushing further as I admitted that... well, that and the memory of my first limo ride.

"Really?" he asked, grinning widely.

I nodded my head, shyly, and ducked my face into his side. He pulled me up so I was straddling his lap and smiled at me.

"Don't hide from me," he said softly. I bit my lip and fought the smile that was threatening to break through. He moved his thumb to pull my lip from between my teeth.

"Did you enjoy your first limo ride?" he asked, showing me his dimples again.

I nodded my head, looking him right in the eyes. I could feel the blush burning on my cheeks.

"So did I," he said, grinning wickedly, making my cheeks burn even more.

Our moment was interrupted slightly by the driver's voice coming through the intercom.

"We need to wait for the police to clear a path through the reporters before we can leave the garage, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," he said.

"Thanks," Emmett responded, pushing a button to speak.

"Are we going to the estate?" the driver asked.

"Yeah," Emmett responded, using the button again. "Straight to the garden house, please."

"No problem, Sir," the driver responded again.

Emmett leaned back against the seat, bringing me with him. "I want to take care of you right now, but if we stay in this position much longer..." he said, groaning at the end.

"What?" I asked, grinding myself against him.

"Please," he begged. "Let me take care of you first."

"This is taking care of me," I said, leaning against him and kissing his neck.

I felt the car start to move and looked up in surprise. Emmett took that opportunity to move me from his lap and cradle me into his side.

"Hey," I said. "I was enjoying that spot."

"So was I," he growled. "A little too much."

As the car moved towards the exit of the parking garage, I could hear the noise and I cringed into Emmett's side. The police had barricades up, keeping people back, but as soon as the limo moved into sight, they began to push against them. Once we were fully outside, the flashes began to go like crazy. I was cringing into Emmett's side.

"Shh," he whispered against me as he wrapped both arms around me. "They can't see us. We'll be past this in a few moments." I trembled in his arms, keeping my head buried against his chest and my eyes squeezed shut. I could feel the car begin to move faster and the noise outside the car become practically non-existent.

"Thank you," I whispered to Emmett.

"Anytime," he said, kissing my forehead.

I relaxed into him and tried to bring my heart rate down.

"Do you want to talk about it?' he asked.

"It's almost like I can't believe it's over," I said.

"What happened in there? Did he hurt you?" he asked, sounding almost pained.

"How much did Edward tell you?" I asked him.

"All he could say was that you were stubborn," he said. "He said he tried to keep you out but you wouldn't listen. Then he told us that after the guard was shot that he begged Royce to let you go but that Royce wouldn't hear of it."

I decided to go back to the beginning and tell him all about our run in with Rosalie in the morning, followed by my medical visit. Before I got to the part where Royce came bursting in, I remembered what Edward had said about honeymoon time.

"Hey," I said to him. "I heard something from a certain brother-in-law about a honeymoon."

"If you want," he said. "We could go anywhere and just focus on being together."

"I do want that, Em," I said, smiling at him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "We'll figure out where when we get this all behind us."

"I like that idea," he said, squeezing me tightly.

I went back to my story after that, telling him about seeing Royce running past us. I explained that I couldn't let Edward face it alone and how I ran in after him, even though he had begged me not to. I told him all about what had happened from the time we got into the room until Alex was shot, and how hard his brother had tried to get me out of the room in his place.

"If Royce wasn't dead, I'd kill him," he grunted, fighting his anger.

Then I told him about what Royce had said to Rosalie and how she had reacted to everything he had to say.

"I want to feel sorry for her, I really do," Emmett said. "But she has hurt everyone around me so much. I can't bring myself to get there."

"Maybe she'll change for the better," I said, actually hoping that she would for the sake of her child.

"You are far too good," he said, kissing my forehead. I finished telling him about the rest of our time in the room, how Royce seemed to have a change of heart and let us go. Then I told him how I'd left my phone with Royce so that he could talk to his son.

"He just let you go in the end?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "He knew that he had lost everything and didn't want to hurt anyone else. He opened the door to let us out of the room and I shoved Rose out before I left, knowing that he didn't care one iota if she lived or died."

"I doubt most people would care if she lived or died," he muttered.

"I do," I said, looking at him.

"Of course you do," he said, shaking his head. "You are entirely too good."

"She had a rough deal, too," I said. "She had parents who obviously cared more for themselves than her."

"So did Jasper," he argued. "Yet he is one of the most kind and gentle people that you will ever meet."

"Very true," I said. "Rosalie could have gone the other way, but that doesn't mean she deserved to be treated that way, or that she deserved to die."

"You're right," he said. "But I will never like her, no matter what you say."

"I can live with that," I said.

"So what happened once you got out of the room?" he asked. "We heard the commotion but the officer guarding our door wouldn't tell us anything."

"Once I walked out, I was practically tackled by the SWAT team, they pulled us down the hall, and started asking questions. I answered a few but I told them I needed to see you and they finally allowed me to do that. You know the rest from there."

"I was so scared for you, Bella," he said. "I would have done anything to get you out of there."

"I know," I told him.

I could feel the car slowing down and looked out the window. We were nearing the entry gate to the estate and there were swarms of reporters here, too. I buried my head against Emmett, but kept my cool. I knew that they couldn't see me, and I also knew that once we were inside, I would be completely safe.

Two guards opened the gate as the car approached and opened the gates to allow us through. I breathed a hell of a lot easier once we were on the forested path to the house. As much as I still distrusted Carlisle, I knew that I was safe here.

We sat in a comfortable silence as we wound up the driveway, bypassing the main house and pulling up to a driveway directly behind the garden house.

"Come on, Beautiful," Emmett said. "Let's get you taken care of."

Emmett got out of the limo when Felix opened the door, thanking the man before reaching in to help me out. Once my feet hit the ground, he swept me into his arms bridal style and carried me towards the house with Felix leading the way. Once Felix had the door opened, Emmett carried me in as Felix bid us good night and closed the door, locking it behind him. Emmett carried me up to the bathroom, finally placing me down, sitting me on the large bathroom counter.

"Bath or shower?" he asked me.

I looked down at my hands and said, "I need a shower."

Emmett turned and moved to the large shower enclosure, pressing the buttons to get the water started. Once he did that he turned around and placed a kiss on the tip of my nose, before dropping down and pulling my shoes from my feet.

"I'm sure I can undress myself," I said to him.

"You could," he said. "But I want to do this for you."

_Who was I to argue?_

He moved from my shoes, to my stained lab coat, which he pushed off my shoulders gently, kissing me on the neck. He moved from there to unbutton the blouse I was wearing and then my pants. He began to move to unsnap my bra, but I stopped him.

"Please," I asked him. "Will you join me in the shower?"

"If you wish," he said.

"I do," I said. He moved quickly to rid himself of his clothes, refusing my offer of assistance, so I just sat back and watched as he stripped to nothing. Once he was gloriously naked, he returned to me and undid my bra. Then he helped me down to the floor and slid my panties down my legs. Once he stood up, he pulled the elastic from my hair, allowing it to cascade over my shoulders.

He smiled down at me and took both of my dirty hands in his, and he led me into the shower stall. He moved me so that the spray from the shower head washed over my body. I leaned back and closed my eyes, allowing it to soak through my hair as he moved to grab some body wash from the ledge. The familiar scent of the strawberry body wash assailed my senses and I opened my eyes, looking at Emmett in surprise.

"Alice," he said, smiling softly. "After she came to your apartment, she decided that she would buy you a few things for here, so you're comfortable."

"I'll have to thank her," I said softly. He poured some of the wash onto his massive hands and took my left arm and began washing from the hand up. Once he reached my shoulder, he repeated the action with the other arm.

"Emmett," I said, looking at him as he poured more of the wash onto his hands.

"Shh," he soothed, moving me from the spray and sitting me on a small heated bench in the corner. Once I was sitting he lifted my left leg and started with my foot, washing up my thigh, once he had done that he moved to my other leg. As close as he was to the apex of my thighs, he avoided the area. I had no doubt that he wanted me, the physical evidence of that want left absolutely no room for doubts, yet he remained a gentleman. Once he was finished with my legs, he offered me his hand to help me stand. Once my hand was in his, he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. I smiled shyly at him. I had never been cared for in this manner. Once I was standing, he returned to the body wash one final time, pouring some into his hands and bringing them up to my shoulders.

I can't begin to describe the feelings that coursed through me as he washed me so tenderly. The love that he felt for me was demonstrated fully in the way his hands caressed me. He did not want anything in return, that was evident, and I felt myself fall infinitely more in love with this man that I still hadn't known a week.

Once he was content that my body was clean, he opened up the bottle of shampoo and proceeded to wash, then condition my hair. As he rinsed the last of the conditioner from my hair, I felt the tears begin to form in my eyes.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, concern marring his perfect features.

"No," I whispered, not trusting my voice anymore than that. "You are perfect. These are not sad tears."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"One hundred percent," I said. "I love you, Emmett, more than I can even tell you."

"Come on, Beautiful," he said, lifting me up. "Let's get you dry and fed."

We stepped out onto the mat where Emmett's care of me continued. He grabbed a smaller towel for my hair and handed it to me while he began to dry my body. Once he was certain that I was dry, he bundled the towel around me and grabbed a second for himself, drying off quickly before wrapping it around his waist.

He led me by my hand back to the bedroom and directed me to the closet. "I don't know what's in there for you, but Alice said it was completely stocked. I'll be right back." I padded into the closet and looked around. Half of the closet was full of Emmett's shirts and suits, the other was full of dresses, skirts, blouses and a few pairs of slacks, all with tags still attached. I was certain that I didn't want to look at the prices. Along the back there were two chests of drawers, which I assumed would contain the more casual clothes. I opened the top drawer of the chest on my side, and noticed it was full of lingerie. I reached in and grabbed a pair that actually looked like they would cover something, white lacy boy shorts. Once I slipped those on I tried to find something casual to wear.

Apparently, Alice doesn't do casual and I moved to Emmett's drawers to see if he had anything. His second drawer was filled with white cotton undershirts and I slipped one on, hoping he wouldn't mind. As I pulled the shirt over my head, my wedding rings, which had been on the chain around my neck, jingled. I quickly slid them off the chain and placed them back on my finger. I walked back out into the bedroom, drying my hair a bit more, and wondering where my towel-clad husband had disappeared to.

"Shit," Emmett said, standing in the middle of the room, staring at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I asked.

He didn't speak, simply stared at me. Then I realized that I was wearing his shirt, and I wondered if I should have asked first.

"Should I not wear..." I began to ask.

"Isabella, you can wear whatever you like, believe me. I just really like the way you look in my clothes," he growled, pulling me against his bare chest.

I blushed and bit my lip.

"Let me grab something to wear and we'll go down and eat," he said as he dropped his towel as he walked into the closet, giving me a lovely view of his sexy ass.

"Were you checking me out, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked cheekily from the closet.

"Hell yes!" I answered, sitting on the bed to wait for him.

The sound of his laughter proceeded his return to the room as he came out wearing a pair of sweats and a white wife beater.

"That's so not fair," I said, pouting at him.

"What?" he asked, sweeping me into his arms for a kiss.

"The most casual thing I could have worn in there was still silk and probably completely indecent," I said with a mock scowl.

"I can send Demetri or Felix to get you somethings from your place if you need it," he said. "I wish I could promise to just bring you back there to get what you need, but after today the press isn't going to relax anytime soon."

"They could get some of my stuff?" I asked, hopefully.

"Yeah," he said. "Just tell me what you need and I'll make it happen."

"Thank you," I said, kissing him.

"Let's get you fed, before I decide to stop being a gentleman and take you to bed. You look positively sinful in my clothes," he said grinning.

"Mr. Cullen, are you trying to seduce me?" I asked with a really bad southern accent.

"Later, woman!" he growled. "Let's get you fed."

He swung me up into his arms again and I squealed and protested, acting like I didn't want him to carry me. I think both of us knew the truth, but it was fun to play the game. He carried me down to the kitchen where two plates of food sat on the table, covered by silver plate covers like you'd see on a room service cart.

"I hope it's still warm," he said.

Whatever was under those domes smelled heavenly and my stomach growled loudly, letting us both know that it had been far too many hours since I'd last eaten.

"It could be frozen and I'd still eat it," I said, as Emmett set me down in my seat. He opened the lid on my meal and a little steam escaped the still warm plate. I looked down at the plate, barbecued chicken, fettuccine and green beans, and then smiled up at Emmett. The plate was filled with my favorite comfort food, something we had spoken about at my house that first day. It had seemed so insignificant a discussion, yet seeing everything sitting here on the plate... It was probably the best meal I could have asked for.

"You remembered?" I asked him.

"I remember everything you say," he said smiling at me.

I teared up as he moved to sit next to me, "Thank you," I whispered to him.

"Don't cry, Sweetheart," he soothed.

"It's just... nice," I said.

"Nice?" he asked.

"To have someone to take care of me," I said, tears slipping from my eyes.

Apparently Emmet couldn't stand the sight of my tears and he pulled me up onto his lap to cuddle me. After a minute, my tears dissipated, but neither of us was anxious for me to move, instead my dinner was brought next to his and we spent the next twenty minutes in silence, eating together.

After dinner was eaten, Emmett refused my offer to clean up.

"Someone will be by in the morning to take care of it," he said, sitting back a little.

"I hate the thought of someone needing to clean up after me," I pouted.

"Just this once?" he asked, grinning slightly at me, so his sexy little dimples were on display.

"You aren't playing fair," I said, fighting the smile that was threatening to give me away.

"I never said I would," he said. "After all my wife is sitting here on my lap in my shirt, and I think I need it back."

"You do?" I asked, playfully.

"Yup," he said.

"You have to catch me first," I said, scooting off his lap and dashing for the stairs.

I didn't even make it to the first step before his arms wrapped around me from behind. I squeaked and turned in his hold, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Did you really think you could get away?" he asked lifting me into his arms again.

"Not with the way my legs are atrophying due to lack of use," I giggled, wrapping my legs around him.

"My evil plan is working," he grinned as he started carrying me up the stairs. I just buried my head in the crook of his neck and let him. The feeling of being in his arms was perfect.

He carried me into the bedroom and sat me on the bed, turning around to close and lock the bedroom door.

"Everyone may have keys to the house, but nobody is getting in here," he said, turning around and looking at me.

I sat up and moved my hands to the bottom of his T-shirt that I was wearing, slowly bringing it up.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, leaning back against the door.

"You said you wanted your shirt back," I said, feigning innocence.

"I do," he said, moving from the wall and stalking slowly towards the bed. I tugged the rest off quickly and tossed it at him, leaving me sitting cross legged on the bed in just my white lace panties. He caught the shirt and tossed it quickly onto the floor.

"Didn't you want your shirt?" I asked him.

"Not anymore," he growled huskily. "I see something I want much, much more."

"Oh," I asked. "And what might that be?"

"You," he said, as he reached the bed and pulled me into his arms. "Just you."

He proceeded to show me just that, until we both fell asleep naked in each others arms.


	10. Royce's Choices

Royce's POV

Charmed. That was the best word you could use to describe my life. I had everything. My job put me front and center and I loved it. I had power, and the ability to use that to my benefit. The world was my playground and I knew how to play. Having the rich and famous at my beck and call was my aphrodisiac. There were even rumblings within the party that when they looked for the next Vice President, I was the man. Of course I was.

Statistically, I had everything a successful candidate needs; a great name. a great education, a beautiful wife, beautiful children, and a spotless reputation. I was methodical in how I protected all of that. Not only that, but I had an impressive political pedigree. I was no Kennedy, but darn close as my father and paternal grandfather had both been in politics. My wife had a great pedigree too, and I knew from the moment I met her that I would marry her.

Marie was everything a motivated man could ask for. She had no designs on a career, preferring to stay home and keep an immaculate house, and raise perfect children. I loved her, that I could guarantee, but I can't say I was in love with her. Intimacy was scheduled and very cookie cutter. There was no improvisation, no caressing, no foreplay, and never pure sex. She looked as perfect after our sexual encounters as she had before, my perfect Stepford wife.

I lasted about a month after our wedding before looking to find something more.

I missed passion. I missed raw animal lust. I missed the look on a woman's face as she recovers from her post orgasmic bliss. I wanted an active partner who wanted more than wham, bam, thank you ma'am. I wanted to give and receive oral pleasure, and try every position in the Kama Sutra.

To avoid... complications, I always chose a partner who had as much to lose if our affair went public as I did. First, I chose the very young wives of the very rich, very old businessmen and tycoons. They certainly didn't want to lose their sugar daddies. Then I met a few of the daughters of affluence. Daddy's little princesses certainly didn't want their fathers to know about their extra-curricular activities. Rosalie Hale was in the best category of all. Her Daddy was stinking rich and as dirty as they come, and, even better, she was engaged.

I would have no problem with the blonde bombshell.

She had a terrible reputation. Cold, frigid, and ice queen, were some of the words I'd heard used to describe her. To be kind her own father referred to her as aloof. I'd seen her in passing many times, her clothing drawing attention to her very curvaceous figure. She had long toned legs that I wanted to feel wrapped around me, a perfect round ass that I wanted to squeeze in my hands as I used it as leverage, thrusting deep inside her. After seeing her in a bikini while she sunbathed at the country club, I was willing to bet she was as smooth as a baby's bottom, all over. Her waist was impossibly tiny and her breasts, her glorious breasts, I wanted to see them bouncing for me as she rode me. Her glorious pouty lips would look perfect when I thrust myself deep into her mouth, and I could imagine grabbing fist fulls of her long blonde hair as I did.

I waited for the perfect opportunity to approach her, and I had the perfect set up. One of my associates, a man who was very familiar with my...extra-curricular activities saw her and made the usual lewd comments. He told me that he'd tried to get in her pants and been turned down by the ice queen. Then he laid the bet.

It was beyond perfect. He would give me fifty thousand dollars if I could bed Rosalie Hale. I made arrangements to meet with her and her family the next night. Mommy and Daddy Hale were known lushes. They were drunk out of their trees before the main course arrived. I complimented Rosalie through the whole meal, and when I wasn't using words, I used my eyes. She ate it up; such a vain creature. Just before dessert, I slid a hotel key card across the table. She was more than happy to accommodate me, slipping the key card into her bra.

Rosalie Hale did not disappoint. She was a fucking sex kitten. Nothing was off limits; she tried and did everything I wanted. The youngest Cullen boy was going to be a lucky man, in the bedroom at least. Of course, he'd have to deal with the rest of her prickly personality, so maybe lucky wasn't the right word.

I loved my weekends; most of them were spent at home with my wife and children. Saturdays we usually entertained guests in some fashion, hosting all sorts of family get-togethers for important families in our area. Sunday, I kicked back and relaxed. My wife was always so attentive and the children loved having me around. We were even kicking around the idea of adding a third child. She really wanted to add to our family, and I thought having her pregnant on the campaign trail would look great for my image.

The week started like most others, meetings and public appearances. What was best is that I was home to tuck the children into bed each night, before I left for more appointments. That all ended on Wednesday night when Carlisle Cullen called me, asking to meet me the next morning. I informed him that my schedule was pretty tight, but he was insistent, stating it was vital.

Carlisle Cullen never exaggerated, so I knew I had to make time. I agreed to meet at his office at 7:00 A.M. I brought my aide, and driver, asking both to wait in the car as I went up to meet Carlisle. The guard let me into the elevator, letting me know that Mr. Cullen was waiting for me in his office. Other than him I saw nobody until I reached the open door.

"Good morning, Congressman," Carlisle greeted warmly. "Would you like a coffee or a danish?"

"No, thank you," I said. "Why don't we get right down to business since I assume that this isn't a social call."

"Sounds good," he said, gesturing for me to sit down.

I sat and waited for Carlisle to take his position across the desk from me, so imagine my surprise when he sat in a chair next to me and crossed his legs. I looked at him in surprise and he said.

"This is not official by any means," he said.

"Personal business?" I asked, actually feeling a bit nervous. "What do we have to discuss?"

"A few things," he said. "First, my son has recently gotten married."

"Edward? I thought he was due to marry on Saturday?" I said.

"No, actually Emmett met and married a very special young lady last weekend," he said.

"Met and married?" I asked.

"Within a few hours," he said.

"Wow. That had to be a bit of a shocker for you," I said.

"Indeed," he agreed. "Isabella does not come from money, but she is a most wonderful addition to our family." I almost missed the added "I was almost too stubborn to see that."

"What a surprise," I said. "I thought Emmett was more concerned with the business than relationships."

"Believe me, so did I," he said. "I actually couldn't be happier for him. She is the best thing that's happened to us in a long time."

"And you'll be adding a second daughter-in-law in just a few days," I added. "How blessed you must feel."

"You have no clue," he said. "But that's why I have called you."

"I don't understand," I said.

"Edward called off the wedding yesterday," he said.

My throat went dry. They had been together for years; it was all cut and dried.

"What happened?" I finally choked out.

"He realized, on his own, mind you, that she was not the person she pretended to be," Carlisle said.

"Wow," I said.

"Anyway, I was thrilled. I actually had huge teams of private investigators on her tail trying to find something that would make him change his mind. None of us were too fond of Miss Hale," he said.

I felt myself begin to sweat. I almost gulped for air as I regarded him nervously. My tongue felt thick as I struggled to keep my composure. "They didn't find anything?" I asked.

"No," Carlisle said, causing me to breath a little easier. "Edward actually wised up on his own, and with a little help from his new sister-in-law."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" I asked him.

"Last night my new daughter-in-law was approached by a man she didn't know while walking on the estate," Carlisle said.

"Really? Is she alright?" I asked.

"She is, just a little scared. We've beefed up security now, but the man handed her a folder to give to me. That's why I've come to you," he said.

"Are you being blackmailed?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I am certain that the man that gave us the file will take it no further."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," I said.

"I guess you'll just have to see for yourself," Carlisle said to me, handing me a manila folder.

I opened the folder cautiously, looking inside. The pictures were from my second meeting with Rosalie. I could tell it was me, although nothing was ever seen but the back of my head. Rosalie, on the other hand, was visible in all her glory. I was going to have to see if I could get copies of these.

"Again, Carlisle," I said. "Why did you call me?"

"How long have we been friends, Royce?" he asked me dropping the niceties.

"You've been friends with my family for years, Carlisle," I said, beginning to sweat. He knew it was me in the pictures. I could feel my dreams go up in smoke. My chances of living in the White House were slipping through my fingers. My wife, my children... all of it could be lost. I would be ruined.

"Then cut the bullshit," he said. "We both know who the other party in these pictures is."

"Carlisle, I don't know..." I started to argue, still trying to get by butt out of the sling.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he roared, grabbing a second folder from the desk and pulling out another picture. He tossed it on the desk in front of me. This picture left no room for doubt as to whom Rosalie was with, or exactly what they were doing. That picture would ruin everything. He handed me the rest of the file, and everything was laid there for anyone who looked at the pictures to see.

"I have to pay my investigator a hundred thousand dollars for these," Carlisle said, "and to be perfectly honest, nothing in this folder is worth a penny to me. My son had kicked Rosalie to the curb before this was brought to light."

"So you're blackmailing me?" I asked.

"No," Carlisle said. "But right now, Rosalie is on the warpath. She wants to destroy my son and my family because of the cancelled wedding. She has called a press conference at the hospital where Edward and my new daughter-in-law work. She had herself admitted last night, so as a patient, she is well within her right to be there."

"What do you want me to do about this, Carlisle?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he shrugged. "I merely asked you here as a courtesy." A courtesy? I felt my hope return slightly, until I looked at Carlisle. There was no comfort on his face at all, and I stalled in limbo. Not certain if everything I had built was about to come crashing down, or if all my plans for the future were still in place.

"This morning, Bella and Edward are going to meet with Rosalie and show her these pictures," Carlisle said. "The idea is to get her to shut her trap."

"And if she doesn't?" I asked.

"Then Esme and Alice will be at the press conference with the first folder of pictures in hand," Carlisle said.

"If you aren't planning on exposing me, then why have you called me here?" I asked him.

"There's one more file," Carlisle said. "And this one is by far the most shocking."

"My penis is on display for everyone to see in these ones! How much more shocking could this get?" I asked. The look on his face after I asked, made me regret my question. I was fairly certain I didn't want to know the answer.

"Know that none of my family will say a word, Royce," Carlisle said. "Any information that leaks from this file will not be coming from us."

"What the hell is it, Carlisle?" I asked, impatiently. "How the fuck can it be worse than pictures of me fucking someone who isn't my wife?"

He handed me the closed file and moved across the room. He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and stood looking at me for a moment.

"I'm sure after you read the contents you'll want something more than water, but this is all I will offer," Carlisle said, handing me the bottle.

"Is it that bad?" I asked, afraid to open the file.

"It depends what Rosalie chooses to do," Carlisle said.

I placed the water bottle on the desk and opened the folder. The first thing I was aware of was that I was looking at medical records; Rosalie's medical records. I looked away from them and looked up at Carlisle, whose face was pale, before returning my eyes to the file. Did she have some STD or something? Then I saw it. Pregnant.

Rosalie was pregnant.

"What the hell?" I asked myself quietly.

"Nine weeks," Carlisle said. "Which puts the date of conception near the date on the pictures. Edward was still away at the time, which means, unless there was someone else, the baby is yours."

_Mine?_

My stomach turned in knots. How could Rosalie have gotten pregnant? She swore she was on the pill. My mind reeled and I watched my dreams shatter. Even if Rosalie did nothing today, she could wait and do it tomorrow, or next month, or in five years.

"Royce," Carlisle stated. "I can't begin to fathom what must be going through your head. I didn't want you to be surprised with any of this, and I wanted to give you the opportunity to try to find some way past this. Even if we manage to stop Rose from attacking our family, she is going to be angry and feel cornered. You and I both know how dangerous she could be in that situation."

"What the fuck can I do Carlisle?" I asked him. "She's having my fucking baby!"

"I don't know Royce," he said. "Can you access some money to pay her off? You know the Hales are almost broke."

"Maybe I could pay her to have an abortion," I asked. "I could access a good amount..."

"And if she won't it could piss her off enough to go public"

"So where do I go from here?" I asked.

"I recommend you get a very good lawyer," Carlisle said. "It could get ugly."

"I could lose everything," I said, putting my face in my hands.

"And maybe you can find something that Rosalie wants enough to keep her quiet," Carlisle said.

"Maybe," I said.

"I have to get back to the family," Carlisle said. "We need to face today as a united front. You give us a call if you need anything."

"Thanks, Carlisle," I said.

"And Royce," he said as I stood to leave.

"What?" I asked him.

"If you're going to be involved in anymore extracurricular activities, keep it wrapped," he said.

"Too late for that now," I said as I walked out of his office.

I walked with my head down to the elevator. The office was filling up with people and I didn't want to play the friendly politician right now. After all, how much time would I have left?

I got into the limo and absolutely ignored my aide, telling the driver that I needed to go home before I headed down for my meeting.

"I have a headache," I said, before leaning back and closing my eyes. I wish I could say I was relaxing, but I wasn't. I was playing all sorts of scenarios in my head of how Rosalie Hale could ruin my life.

Some of the scenarios were in the here and now...

"_Marie, I'm home. Where are the children?" I called out walking into the house._

"_Up here," I heard my wife's sweet voice say._

_She was in the nursery, the one we hadn't used since Katie had turned two and moved into a big girl room._

"_Where are the children?" I asked as I moved into the room._

"_Right here," my wife said, as she turned around. Suddenly my wife morphed into Rosalie and the baby in her arms was a mini version of her._

"_You don't need the others. I am all you'll ever need," Rosalie said._

_The room began to tremble and the walls began to fall down, and still Rosalie stood, unaffected by the chaos around her, cradling the small baby in her arms. I felt the floor give way beneath me and I dropped through, falling into a dip pit._

Some of the scenarios that ran through my head were far into the future...

"_We are gathered to swear in Royce King as the next President of the United States," the voice said. "Mr. King, will you and your family please join us at the podium."_

_I stood and helped Marie up, she was pregnant again and my three children stood beside her, all dressed to the nines. As I placed my hand on the bible to be sworn in, I heard her._

"_Wait," she cried from the crowd. "Not everyone is there."_

_Rosalie pushed her way through the crowd pushing a small boy in front of her. He was a mini version of me and she lifted him to the stage._

"_His whole family should be here while he is sworn in," Rosalie said, smirking through blood red lips._

_Marie gasped and started to pull our children away._

"_Marie, stop," I cried._

"_I can't," she said. "You are nothing but a cheater and a liar."_

_I turned to the judge who had been just about to swear me in and instead he pulled the bible back against his chest shaking his head no, as the crowd began pelting me with food. Rosalie and the boy that looked like me stood in the middle smiling as the food whizzed by them, remaining perfectly clean._

No matter how many scenarios I played in my head they all ended with Marie leaving and taking my children and everything else around me falling down.

If Rosalie Hale held the key to my future I needed to get it back.

I got to the house and went in search of Marie and the children.

"I'm sorry, Sir," said the maid. "Mrs. King and the children just left to spend the day at the zoo."

I paced the house for a few minutes wondering what to do, before I headed for my study. Once there, I moved to the safe and opened it, reaching inside for the one item that would make this nightmare end. My gun.

I managed to convince the aide to go to the office and get the meeting with the governor started and that I would join them later. After a few minutes of convincing they left and I went into my son's room and sat on his bed. I lifted his pillow and smelled it. It smelled just like him and I inhaled deeply, drinking in his essence, before moving down the hall to do the same with my daughter's pillow. Once I had done that I moved to the garage and grabbed my car.

I maneuvered through the early morning traffic as quick as I could and made it to the hospital in plenty of time. After a quick check with the lady at the front desk, I was on my way to the seventh floor, ready to confront Rosalie Hale, and insure her silence her forever.

As I got off the elevator, I followed the signs on the wall looking for her room. I moved quickly through the halls and saw her room number on the door, speeding up my pace. There were doctors and nurses everywhere and I paid them no attention as I moved towards Rosalie's room, slamming the door open with as much force as I could. Rosalie wasn't in the bed as I had expected, instead she walked out of the bathroom as she heard the door slam open.

"Hello, Rosalie," I snarled as I moved across the room to stand right in her face.

She cowered away and tried to turn to get back into the bathroom.

"Oh no you don't you bitch!" I snarled, grabbing her and moving her into the middle of the room.

"Please don't. You're hurting me," she begged.

"You haven't felt anything yet," I said, flinging her towards the bed.

"Please Royce," she begged. "I won't say anything. I promise."

"Like that's all that matters!" I seethed. "The very thought of you carrying my child makes me sick!"

I moved over to the bed, watching Rosalie cringe into the bed, thinking that that would somehow save her. I reached down to grab her as I heard the door open again. I paid, whoever entered the room no heed as I picked her up and shook her. I had never hated anything or anybody as much as I hated Rosalie Hale.

"Put her down," I heard a female voice say.

"Stay out of it," I snarled at her, not taking my eyes from Rosalie.

"Like hell I will," the delicate voice said again. "Get your hands off my patient."

This time I spared the girl a look as I said, "Look, Doctor. This is none of your business, so get the hell out."

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you will unhand my patient immediately and get the hell out before security removes you," she said firmly.

I squeezed Rosalie's arms more firmly ready to throw her, when I heard Edward Cullen's voice.

"Royce, she isn't worth it," he said. Of course she wasn't worth it to him. She wasn't carrying something that would ruin his whole life.

"Cullen," I snarled, turning to see the younger man. "You couldn't keep your woman satisfied so now it comes to this."

He did his best to try to convince me to go easy on Rosalie, but I couldn't, I'd come too far. All I knew is that Edward and the little girl doctor needed to leave now. I tossed Rosalie onto the bed with as much force as I could muster. I turned to look at Edward, to beg him man to man to see things from my point of view. The panic was overwhelming.

"I have too much to lose," I muttered to myself, thinking of everything I had built.

"Nothing is lost," Edward said to me. "Just walk out of here and it all goes away."

If only. She had me forever.

"I can't," I said to him. "As long as she's alive, as long as she carries that bastard in her womb, I will always be a slave to her. I will always have to worry when she will come forward and shove her little bastard in front of the camera to ruin me."

Nobody said anything. What could they say? I was telling the truth. I knew I had to pull the gun from my pocket and shoot her.

"She has to die. It's the only way," I muttered, trying to will myself to pull the gun from my pocket. I reached my hand in and touched the cool metal handle.

"It isn't the only way," Edward said. "Pay her off. Have her sign a confidentiality agreement. You can end this Royce. If you kill her, you'll never get out of here. It won't solve anything. There are too many witnesses. How many reporters saw you come in here? How many people did you walk by in the hall?"

"She'll ruin me, Edward. Don't you see?" I begged. He had to know that this was the only way out.

I wrapped my hands around the handle and turned to look at Rosalie. The female doctor was trying to get her out of the room, but she'd never make it. Just as I pulled the gun from my pocket the door flung open and a tall dark haired security guard burst through the door. The doctor grabbed Rosalie and dove for the floor as I saw the man reach for his gun. It was instinct as I felt myself turn the gun on him and pull the trigger. As soon as I felt it recoil in my hand I watched the man drop to the floor, and heard the sickening thud as his head bounced on the hard tile floor. I didn't even count to three before the young doctor girl was crawling towards him.

"I have to help him," she said. "I can still help him."

She couldn't. I watched as the puddle of red formed under the man's body. I had shot someone. I was a murderer.

"No," I said to her as she reached his side. "Stay where you are."

"Please," she begged. "We'll all say that this happened accidentally. Let me help him. He doesn't have to die."

"Royce," Edward said. "She's right. We'll all testify that it was an accident, that he scared you while we were talking and you grabbed your gun. Let her take him out of here. Let her help him."

Could that really work? Would people believe that it had been an accident? They'd want to know why I was here, why I was visiting Rosalie and then we were back to square one.

"Everyone will know," I said, repeating it over and over.

The doctor girl moved to his side and tried to help the man, tearing his shirt open and trying to see how she could help. I heard his shallow gurgling breaths. There was no use. He was going to die and I would be a murderer. I watched as the red blood continued to seep out onto the floor. Doctor girl pressed her hand onto the wound to try and stop the bleeding but she was fighting a losing battle.

"Please, Royce," she said to me, bringing my eyes to her from the sick puddle on the floor. "I need to get him out of here and to an operating room."

"Not you," I said. "You need to stay here. You take him, Edward. You do it." Edward was Carlisle's family and Carlisle was my friend. If anyone should be able to leave it should be him.

"I can't," Edward said.

"You will!" I screamed. "You will or I will shoot her, too, then where will you be. Your father is my friend... I can't hurt you."

"She is married to Emmett," Edward begged. "She's my sister-in-law. Let her go."

"No!" I shouted. "Either you take the man out of here or we all stay and watch him die."

"Take him, Edward," the little doctor girl begged. "You have to. His name is Alex, he has a wife and three kids."

The man had kids. I took someone's father from them.

"I can't leave you here, Bella," Edward said to the girl.

"You have to," she begged. I could hear the tears in her voice without even looking at her face. "His oldest boy is 4, he plays t-ball. The baby is only a few months old. They need a father. Please Edward."

"Take him," I told Edward. "I won't give you another chance, Cullen."

"Let her go in my place," Edward begged again. "She already has her hand in place. Let her take him."

"NO!" I shouted, pointing the gun at the little doctor girl.

"Bella," Edward said to her, barely higher than a whisper. He really cared for this girl. I should have let her go, but I would rather shoot this stranger when I shot Rosalie, rather than a friend. That would be too hard.

"Take him, please. He can't die," she cried. "I'll be alright. You need to save him, Edward. You're his only chance."

Finally Edward listened to her, crawling over next to her and transferring his hand to press down on the wound.

"Tell Emmett, I love him and that I'll see him soon," she said quietly, placing her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

He opened the door and began to move to pull the man out of the door. As soon as the door closed, I turned to the young doctor who had crawled over next to Rosalie.

"So you, you're married to Emmett?" I asked her, trying to confirm what Carlisle had said earlier.

"I am," she said, sounding a hell of a lot braver than I felt. "We were just married this past weekend."

I decided that she needed to move away from the door. I couldn't have her getting hurt when the police arrived. So, I had her move herself and Rosalie to the other side of the room. Rosalie was sobbing like a baby, her eyes were puffy and her makeup had smudged everywhere. She was truly an ugly woman that knew how to play up all her best attributes, why had I never seen this. She sobbed and cringed as the doctor girl helped her up out of the corner.

As the two women stood together, I noticed that there was not one thing similar about them, except for the fact that they were both female. Rosalie was tall, about 5'9, the doctor, closer to 5'3. Rosalie had blonde hair, blue eyes and tried to have immaculate hair and makeup. Doctor girl had brown hair and eyes. She may have been wearing a little make-up, but I wasn't certain. Her hair was up in a simple ponytail. If you were to look in any magazine, Rosalie would probably grace the cover, yet Doctor Girl was far more beautiful, both inside and out.

I couldn't have hated Rosalie anymore than I did at that point. Not only had she made me hurt, and probably kill, an innocent man, but now I had this innocent girl in here that was probably scared to death.

"Look at what you've done, Rosalie," I seethed at her. "His blood is on you, as it should be. Look at how many lives you've destroyed."

She sobbed horribly as I finished, knowing that what I said was true. She looked down at her hands and shuddered, hating the blood that rested there. I honestly didn't care if she lived or died, and the only reason that she wasn't dead yet was the fact that I didn't want to hurt or scare the doctor.

"Now, Emmett Cullen isn't going to be happy that I have his new wife here. I shouldn't make enemies with the Cullens. They are my friends," I said to myself.

"No," Rosalie, whispered pathetically.

"But nobody will care if I only have you in here, Rosalie," I said, smirking at her. "You are worthless. Yes... If I keep Emmett's wife here, they'll be in a hurry to make a deal and get her back."

Rosalie sobbed again clutching herself to the doctor who did her best to soothe her. Rosalie knew what I said was true. She knew that she was a worthless piece of shit. The doctor tried to convince her that she cared, but how could she? Rosalie was useless. She probably thought that I'd get angry if Rosalie cried too much. She just wanted to diffuse the situation. She needed to hear what Rosalie had done.

"Touching," I said, glaring at Rosalie. "What reason have you ever given her to care for you? Have you treated her with kindness? Been a good friend?"

"None," Rosalie said, crying pathetically. "I have given her no reason to care for me. I have treated her like I have treated everyone else. I was horrible to her."

"Exactly. You see, I never even liked you, really. You were pretty enough, but do you know what men call you?" I taunted her. She said nothing, just cried. I would tolerate that for now but she would answer me.

"They call you Ice Queen," I said, laughing humorlessly. "Do you know why?" Rosalie's shoulders sagged. She heard every word I said to her.

"So beautiful on the outside," I said, reaching out to caress her cheek. "Every woman is probably jealous of you, aren't they? With your perfectly done long blonde hair, blue eyes and perfect figure. But inside you are cold and heartless." Rosalie couldn't hide her reaction. She sobbed pathetically against the doctor who looked disgusted by what she heard.

"Do you know why I slept with you?" I asked her, rubbing it in. I knew that she thought she was irresistible. "I have been unfaithful many, many times. But do you know why I had sex with you in particular?"

Rosalie didn't answer, again, drawing my ire even more. She just cowered down into the doctor and I laughed at her reaction. The doctor obviously hated Rosalie as much as I did. She was probably sick about the tears that were likely soaking her shoulder. I wanted to hear Rosalie now. I wanted her to answer for herself.

"Answer me, Bitch!" I yelled.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"I'll tell you. I was having lunch at the club with Alexander Martin and a few of his cronies. We were laughing and talking about the social elite. How pathetic some people were, fighting to look dignified when they were anything but. Your family's name came up a few times; your pathetic alcoholic Mother and wannabe Father that has the brains of a pea and absolutely no morals. That's when you walked in, dining alone as usual. We laughed about how nobody would want to spend time with you if they didn't have to. Alexander said that the only person in your family that was worth anything was Jasper, because he had spent more time growing up with the Cullens, than with your family. 'What's her excuse?' Alexander had laughed. Then he made me a bet. You see he knew of my womanizing ways and he bet me that you were frigid," I said, thinking of how much that bet had truly cost me. "I told him I'd take his bet. After all, it isn't hard to get attention from a woman like you. So he said he'd give me fifty thousand dollars, and all I had to do was get you into bed. So I set up a meeting with your pathetic excuse for a father, inviting the whole family. Jasper was out of town, but that didn't matter. You looked mighty fine in a tight black dress and fuck me heels, delighting in showing me your body. So I paid you a little extra attention and you were eating out of my hand. Mommy and Daddy were so drunk by the end of the night; they didn't even notice that I gave you a key to my suite. I must say that you were mighty fine in there, a real sex kitten. Milton sure enjoyed the view. He even tossed in an extra ten grand since you put on such a fine show."

I smirked as she cried more, delighting in breaking the woman who had destroyed me. She would beg for me to kill her by the time I was through with her.

"I'm sorry," Rosalie said, crying like a baby.

"Sorry! Sorry?" I yelled at the useless waste of air. "You ruined my life and you tell me you're sorry. You forced me to kill someone and you're sorry?"

Just then the phone in the room began to ring. I didn't want to be disturbed now. Hell, if it was the police, I didn't even know what my demands would be.

"Who's calling?" I asked.

"I don't know," the doctor told me.

"Who knows this number?" he asked.

"All calls to the rooms need to be put through the switchboard," she said. "It could be anyone."

I paced the room, waiting for the phone to stop ringing. I hated the sound and wanted it to stop but I knew if it were the police, they'd never stop until we answered. I paced some more and looked out the window. I could see dozens of police cars in what limited amount of the ground I could see on the road below and a helicopter hovering nearby. I pulled the drapes shut quickly and dragged a heavy chair to the door, wedging it under the doorknob to prevent it from opening easily. Then I went into the bathroom to make sure there was no other entrance or exit, closing the curtains to prevent anyone from looking in. When I came back to the room, I looked at the doctor who was still trying to stop Rosalie from crying.

"Answer the phone," I told her. "Tell them I'm not ready to talk to them."

"Okay," she said softly, moving away from Rosalie quickly. Who could blame her?

She picked up the phone and the relief from the incessant ringing was instantaneous.

"Hello," she said, softly and formally. Even in the midst of this she had impeccable manners. I could already see why Emmett had met and married her so quickly, and why Carlisle had spoken so highly of her.

"He's asking who he's speaking to," she said to me, waiting for me to tell her what she should do.

"Tell him whatever he wants to know," I told her. No matter what, I wouldn't hurt this girl. It wasn't even just the fact that she was a Cullen, it was just her. Since she entered this room, she has shown her care for Rosalie, Edward and the injured security guard. How could she have known about the guard's family? It wasn't like they were in the same social circle.

"My name is Isabella Swan Cullen," she said boldly. "I am a doctor at the hospital. Congressman King says he is not ready to speak to you yet."

She looked nervously at me and I found myself wanting her to care about me. I know I didn't deserve her care or concern, but I wanted it all the same.

"Rosalie Hale and Congressman King," she said, obviously answering one of the officer's questions. She looked at me for confirmation and I nodded.

"Just go ahead. Just answer anything he asks," I assured her.

She listened for a moment before responding again, "No. Rosalie and I are unharmed, just the security guard that has already been taken from the room."

She listened as he asked another question then got into her answer. "Rosalie and I are sitting on the bed. Congressman King is walking around the room. He has the door braced and the curtains shut. He has his gun, though he isn't pointing it at anyone."

She was thorough in her descriptions, paying a lot of attention to the details.

"He wants to know why you're doing this and if you have any demands," she told me quietly.

What could I ask for that would make any of this better? I want Rosalie Hale to have never existed?

"I am doing this because Rosalie Hale has destroyed my life. What are my demands? I want my life back. I was going to be the President, I had a plan," I said.

"Did you hear him or shall I repeat?" she asked. The officer obviously heard me and was asking her something else.

"Do you want anything? Food or drink?" she asked me.

She didn't ask Rosalie, she asked me.

I declined her offer and listened to her talk to the officer. She asked about her husband and father, obviously concerned with how they were feeling. For crying out loud, I was holding a gun to her, not her husband or father. She sent a message for both of them and even tried to get Rosalie to send something. Rosalie knew her place and declined. Nobody was going to miss her. She tried to argue the point with Rosalie but lost. Rosalie deserved everything she was getting.

I was tired, so tired. I felt old and tired all the way down to my bones, so I said so. It was just a small comment, just words. I didn't expect anything, but the next thing I knew, she had put the phone down and turned her attention to me.

"Why don't you take the bed," she offered. "You can lie down there and get comfortable. Rosalie and I will sit in the chairs."

"No," I said, glaring at her and trying to understand her.

"Okay," she said as though her offer had been unimportant.

"Why would you want me to be comfortable anyway? I am holding you at gunpoint," I asked, completely confused by her.

"I won't lie and tell you that it doesn't matter. I won't tell you that I don't want to get out of here. I do, more than anything. I haven't had anywhere near enough time with my husband. I have a great best friend, an awesome family, and my new family is growing on me, too," she said, looking me right in the eyes. "I am sure you have those things, too."

"I did," I admitted.

She talked to me, asking me about my family. I told her about RJ and Katie, and even about Marie. She listened to every word, like it mattered to her. I opened my heart and spilled every little insignificant detail. She listened and asked questions, giggling when I told her silly things and cringing when I told her about RJ's tumble from the pony at his birthday party and his subsequent hospital trip. I even pulled out a picture of them and she smiled. Suddenly her opinion mattered for everything I said or did. I found myself relaxing in her presence and even asking questions about her, and finally about the man I shot.

"The... the man that I shot... he had a family?" I asked, not knowing if I really wanted the answers.

"He did. His wife just gave birth to their third child a few months ago," she said quietly.

"Oh," I asked, thinking of the fatherless children I left behind. "What was his name?"

"His name IS Alex," she said, emphasizing the IS, whether for herself or for me I wasn't certain. "His wife's name is Sandy. She is so sweet and bakes the most sinful brownies. Their oldest child is four, like R.J. His name is Kevin; he wants to be a doctor when he's older so I sent him a medical kit with some real equipment in it. He plays with the stethoscope all the time, Alex told me. Krystal is only just over one, she's just a baby herself. They thought they were done when all of a sudden Kassidy decided that she was going to add herself to the family. She was actually born on Krystal's birthday, so they're only a year apart."

"How do you know so much about people?" I asked, wanting to know if she would remember the things I spoke about.

"I listen," she said, like it was no big deal.

"Most doctors don't even listen to their patients, yet you know the security guard's life story. Most doctors are so full of their own superiority..." I asked, wanting to understand more about her.

"Why should I think that I am more important than him?" she asked, looking me right in the eye. "Doctor, lawyer, waitress, security guard, or President of the United States, we're all people. I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everyone else. It was nice to walk down the street and know everyone. I could always tell when Mrs. Cope got her hair done, and I knew when Rev. Weber's son broke his arm. In a lot of ways I miss that, so I look for it in my life."

"I don't even know my neighbor's name," I said, thinking of the charmed life I led. I had grown up in wealth and privilege and yet I didn't treat people with near the amount of respect that she did. I thought back to all the helpers we'd had through the years. My nannies, housekeepers, maids, drivers, guards... I didn't even know if any of them were married. Were they mothers or fathers, did they have parents, brothers, sisters? I knew none of that and those were people I had known for years.

"I know everyone on my floor in my apartment building, and quite a few others in the building. Everyone has a story," she said, smiling.

"You are truly a good person. I... I am sorry about this," I told her honestly.

"Me, too," she said.

"I just don't know how to fix it anymore," I said, placing my head in my hands. What choices had I made to lead me to this place? How much hatred had focused on Rosalie, when I should have been focused it on myself?

"I don't either," she said. I sat quietly for a little while contemplating all I had lost, not because of Rosalie, but because of my own selfishness and stupidity. I thought of my own sweet wife. Marie had always been quiet and shy. Was I looking at our sexual encounters the wrong way? Maybe it was her lack of experience and shyness that led to the subdued nature of our sexual relationship. Had I tried to help her open up? Had I given her the confidence and desire to explore further? If I answered myself honestly, the answer would have to be no. I had tried to push and the moment she showed any resistance, I backed off, not giving her a chance to grow sexually. I was the problem. Then, instead of talking to her, exploring with her, and helping her, I looked elsewhere.

To Emily, Janet, Natalie, Karen, Denise, Carmen, Loretta, Linda... and Rosalie.

I was the one that I should hate. Instead I left Rosalie, cowering on the floor, my wife, likely pacing the floor... and my children not knowing what had happened to their daddy.

"It kills me that RJ and Katie are going to have to grow up without me," I said, not able to express the rest of my epiphany.

"I get that," she said softly, tears forming in her brown eyes. She really did get it. "I know you didn't mean to shoot, Alex. If you let us go, maybe it will go a lot easier on you."

"Do you think?" I asked, looking for a grain of hope. I could live with a jail term, losing my career, and the public hatred that I would rightly deserve, but there were things I couldn't live without, and if I didn't start doing the right thing now, I would lose that opportunity forever.

"I do," she said. I looked her straight in the eyes, looking for any sign of dishonesty, but I should have known better. She was good, and honest.

"I'm scared that when my wife learns about Rosalie... she'll never let me even talk to the kids anymore," I said, looking past the obvious criminal issues.

"She can't keep them from you completely, from a legal standpoint. But, I guess that divorce would be a logical consequence to your actions," she said, not pulling any punches.

"How did it all get so messed up?" I asked myself. I looked back through the files of my life and I wondered when I began to feel like the world owed me something, everything.

"I don't know," she said to me, like I had been asking her the question.

"Do you think they'll let me talk to my son?" I asked, pointing towards the telephone. "I need to tell him that I made a mistake and that I have to go away for a while. I need to tell him that I love him no matter what."

"All you can do is ask," she said, looking sad.

"Maybe you and HER can leave now," I said pointing towards Rosalie who was cowering on the floor by Isabella's feet. I had made her do that, and the hatred I felt because of that nearly strangled me. "And then I can talk to him before I come out."

"As soon as we leave, they'll come in," she warned.

"I'll block the door again," I said. "I just want to speak to my family before I turn myself in."

"That sounds good. Here's my cell phone, in case they won't let you use the landline," she said pulling the phone from her pocket and handing it to me.

"Thank you. You're a good person. Emmett is a lucky man," I said to her.

"I'm lucky, too. He's all I could ever ask for," she said.

"Can you give Carlisle a message for me?" I asked.

"I can," she agreed.

"Tell him I said thank you for being a friend, and that I'm sorry for what I did," I said, needing to know that Carlisle would forgive me.

"I'll let him know," she said, a small shadow of a frown crossing her face briefly.

She moved to shake my hand, and Rosalie moved directly behind her, cowering from me. I watched as the two of them crossed towards the door in front of me, avoiding the large congealed puddle of brown ooze that remained from the bright red blood that had spilled earlier. As soon as they got close to the door I moved the chair quickly and pulled the door open.

"They're coming out," I yelled out. As soon as it was open enough to let them out, Isabella pushed Rosalie in front of her, worried about the snotty blonde before herself to the end. As soon as she was clear I slammed the door and wedged the chair against it again.

I crossed the floor to the phone that had been left off the hook the whole time.

"Hello," I said picking up the handset.

"This is Mark. Am I speaking with Congressman Royce King Jr.?" he asked.

"I'm just Royce," I said. "I don't deserve the rest."

"What can I do for you, Royce?" he asked.

"I let the girls go. I know I have a lot to atone for and I need to start by talking to my wife and children. Can I do that?" I asked.

"Why do you need to talk to them?" he asked.

"I need to tell my wife, for myself what I've done and why. I don't want her to see and hear all the speculation before I tell her myself. I want to explain to my son that I have to go away for awhile and that I love him," he said.

"I'll need to ask my superiors," Mark said. "I imagine that since you let the ladies go, they may be able to help."

"Isabella left me her cell phone... I could use that," I said.

"It won't work, all cell signals have been jammed," he said. "I'm doing what I can."

"Oh," I said, worried that I wouldn't get to explain.

It was a few moments before he came on the line again. "Mr. King?" he asked.

"Royce," I said. "Can I talk to them?"

"You can, but you have to know we'll be on the line. If it gets to be uncomfortable we'll end the call," he warned.

"I understand," I said. "Thank you."

I gave him the number that I knew would get me to my wife, her cell phone. I heard him dial and the phone ring.

"Hello," came the very masculine voice on the end of the line. I knew the voice; it was Richard McCoy, my family's attorney.

"Richard," I greeted. "It's Royce."

"Royce," he greeted. "How are you?"

"I shot a man, how do you think I am?" I said.

"And you kidnapped two women," he said.

"I've released them. I didn't hurt them," I told him.

"Why are you calling? I'm certain they won't be letting you out on bail. I can't fix this Royce," he said.

"I'm not expecting you to," I told him. "I just need to talk to Marie. I need to tell her."

"I don't know if she will agree to that. She and the children were out when this all happened. The police had to be brought in to escort them back to the car. She heard some pretty terrible things," he said.

"I know, and she deserves an explanation," I said, hurting for my wife and children, who didn't deserve any of the crap that I had caused.

"I will ask her," he said.

"And Richard..." I said to the man. "Make sure that Alex's family is taken care of, please."

"Alex?" he asked.

"The man I shot. He has small kids and I need to know that I haven't destroyed the whole family as I've done with my own. Please," I said.

"I'll do what I can," he agreed.

He was silent for a time and moving to find Marie I was guessing.

"Marie," I heard him say.

"Yes," I heard my wife's sweet voice, sounding so tired.

"Phone call," he said.

"Is it Daddy?" I heard my son's voice. "I want to talk to my Daddy."

I almost broke down as I heard his pleading voice.

"You can't talk to Daddy, right now," Marie said to him.

"But he didn't do bad things," RJ said to his Mama. "My Daddy is a good guy."

"RJ, please," Marie said, sounding absolutely broken.

"They said he did bad things. They're wrong. My Daddy isn't bad," RJ screamed at her.

I felt the tears streaming down my face as I heard my son pleading with his mother. What had I done to them?

"I want to talk to Daddy. Please let me talk to my Daddy," he cried.

Suddenly my wife's voice was on the phone. "You better talk to him, Royce Alistair King. You better help him!"

She didn't wait for a response before my son's voice was on the phone.

"Daddy! Daddy is it you?" he cried into the phone. His little voice sounded so broken.

"It is me, Son," I said, fighting back the emotion.

"They said you were bad, Daddy. They said you were a bad man," he said. "Tell them they're wrong. Tell them that you are a good guy."

"RJ," I said. "They are right. Daddy did some really bad things."

"No," he said.

"RJ, I love you, Mommy, and Katiebug so much, but I made a big mistake and I need to go away for a while," I tried to explain to my boy.

"You are supposed to be a good guy, Daddy. You're supposed to be like Spiderman," he said.

"I'm sorry, RJ. I'm so sorry," I cried, completely breaking down.

"Do you see what you've done?" Marie's voice said as she came on the line. "Do you see what you've caused?"

"I'm sorry," I said to her. "I'm so sorry."

"No!" she said. "I loved you and believed in you. When people started speaking about you, I ignored them. I heard the gossips when I was out. Everyone was talking about the man-whore congressman. I heard it all, but I believed in you and our marriage. I see now that I wasn't enough."

"You were always enough," I begged her. "It was me. I wasn't enough. I didn't do the right things."

"Why are you calling?" she asked.

"I needed to tell you," I said to her. "You deserve the truth."

"Do you want to know the truth?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "The truth is that you are a selfish son of a bitch who doesn't care about anything around him, who looks at the world to see what it owes him..."

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry."

"Mrs. King… Royce…" Mark's voice said, breaking into the conversation. "This is Sergeant Mark Freeman from the Seattle police. I need to end this call now."

"No," I cried. "I need to tell her how much I love her. I need her to know."

"I'm sorry," he said. "You need to open the door now. You need to end this."

I put the phone down in the cradle. I could tell from Marie's voice, and my son's broken voice that I had done what I dreaded the most. I lost my family. Even Katiebug would hate me. My baby girl would hate me. I paced the floor for a bit, wondering what I would do.

The phone began to ring and someone knocked on the door.

I had lost everything. I felt the world begin to spiral and I couldn't stop it with all of the ringing and pounding. Finally I couldn't take it and I wrapped my hand around the handle to my gun, pulling it from my pocket one final time.

It was all I could do to make things right.

I lifted the gun to my mouth, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.


	11. Charlie Swan Gets a Say

**Charlie's POV**

The last few days had been less than pleasant. It started with having to arrest and old friend for DUI. Harry Clearwater certainly knew better. His wife had been furious when she came to bail him out of jail and I almost felt sorry for Harry. Almost! He had narrowly missed an accident with a minivan, which would have been terrible in his Dodge Ram King Cab. I arrived home that night to dozens of cars on my street. I figured one of the neighbors must have been having a party, and prayed for a quiet night. Once I pulled up in front of my house, reporters and cameras surrounded my car. I lowered my dark shades, my cop glasses as Bella always called them, and put on my serious 'cop face' before I stepped out, ready to ask why all these people were on my lawn.

I didn't get a chance to ask a thing. As soon as my door was open, the questions were being fired at me left, right, and center.

_Are you happy for your daughter?_

_Have you met your son-in-law?_

_Where did they get married?_

_How did they meet?_

_We need baby pictures of Isabella._

_How do you feel about your daughter becoming a Cullen?_

By the time I reached the front door, I was ready to scream; yet I kept my composure and steady pace. Apparently, my baby girl had some explaining to do. I continued to ignore everyone around me while I listened to their questions, trying to get as much information as possible, without giving anything away. I was thankful I had years of experience perfecting my 'cop face'. Finally made it to the door, and opened it thankfully, closing it quickly behind me. I leaned against the door and took a few deep breaths before making my way around the house and closing all the blinds, to keep all of the prying eyes outside at bay.

As soon as that was done, I bypassed the beer that was waiting for me in the fridge, and grabbed the scotch from the cupboard. I had a feeling I was going to need it.

I picked up the phone and dialled Bella's number while I grabbed a glass from the cupboard. I had half hoped that she would have some explanation for this media circus on my lawn, other than the fact that she was married to some guy named Cullen.

"Hello," my little girl's voice said into the phone.

"Isabella Marie Swan," I said sternly, knowing she would know I meant business since I never used her full name. "What the hell is the meaning of this?"

I heard some squealing and a large crash of what I assumed to be the phone tumbling out of her hands and onto the floor. I could hear some muffled voices, both male and female talking for a few minutes, my phone call obviously forgotten. I almost hung up and dialled her cell phone as my level of agitation was growing by the second.

"Crap," I heard her say as she moved closer to the phone. "Hello?"

"So it's true?" I asked her.

"What's true?" she asked, her voice rising an octave. I knew my baby girl so well, there was nothing more she needed to say to confirm the validity of the statements I had just heard, but I needed to hear it from her.

"You're married?" I asked, or stated depends on your point of view.

"I'm gonna kill Jake," she growled; my tiny angry kitten. She tried to sound so menacing but it never really panned out for her. I only hoped that she had married a good...

Wait!

"Jacob knew?" I asked. I was going to kill that boy, before she got the chance. He was supposed to be keeping tabs on her, keeping her safe... now I find out that he knew that she was married and didn't tell me? He was getting his ass kicked!

"If he didn't tell you then who did?" she asked, cutting through my murderous rage that was directed at my best friend's son.

"The twelve reporters that are camped out in my front lawn," I growled. "You better start talking, Baby Girl."

"I will, Dad," she said, nervously. "I promise, but can I please talk to Emmett for a few minutes and call you back?"

"So that's my son-in-law's name?" I asked. "Emmett Cullen?"

I'd make sure to have him checked as soon as possible.

"Yeah," she said sheepishly. "Sorry, Dad. Let me get this all figured out and then I'll call you back and explain everything."

"You have twenty minutes, then I'm calling Jake and coming to Seattle," I threatened, knowing that it would likely be Saturday before I could get there, and that Jake was getting a call no matter what.

"Fine. I love you, Daddy," she said, hanging up the phone.

The second she disconnected the call I called the station to talk to my deputy who was still on duty.

"Hey, Chief," he said. "What's up?"

"Hey Mark," I said. "I need you to run a name for me."

"Sure, Chief," he said. "What name?"

"Emmett Cullen," I told him.

"You mean from the Emmett Cullen, from the Cullen family?" he asked, rather dramatically.

"I guess," I said. I mean he wouldn't be Emmett Cullen from the Masen family. What was his issue?

"You don't know who the Cullen's are do you, Chief?" he asked, laughing a little.

"I've never heard of the Cullen's," I answered. "Should I have?"

"You really need to watch anything other than ESPN," he laughed. "The Cullen's are a wealthy familybased in Seattle and have three kids, Emmett, Edward and Alice. They own Cullen Hotels, as well as many other mega successful businesses. Why are you asking about Emmett?"

"Apparently he is married to my daughter," I said.

"Bella married a Cullen? Holy shit! When did this happen?" he said.

"Hell if I know. I had no clue until I got home and there was a swarm of reporters on my front lawn," I said.

"You sure it was Emmett and not Edward?" Mark asked. "Edward Cullen is a doctor and he just moved back to Seattle. Maybe that's why he broke it off with Rosalie Hale!"

"How do you know all this shit?" I asked him.

"I read it on the internet!" he said.

"Where?" I asked.

"You need to get with the times, Old Man," he laughed. "Let me see if anyone has anything on this wedding thing."

He paused for a few minutes and I got hear his fingers tapping at the keyboard. I didn't know if I wanted him to find anything or not, the very thought of my daughter's private life being on display for anyone to see was disturbing to me.

"Hah!" he said finally.

"What?" I asked.

"Sources say that Seattle's most eligible bachelor, Emmett Cullen, is off the market. A source has revealed that he was married recently, to Isabella Swan, a doctor at Seattle Grace Hospital. Though no date was provided, Emmett Cullen was seen arriving in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon with a few friends, most notably Jasper Whitlock, who is engaged to Alice Cullen, and his brother Edward Cullen, who just began his job at Seattle Grace Hospital. Don't cry to hard, women of Seattle, Edward Cullen, who was supposed to marry Rosalie Hale this Saturday, has released an official statement through the Cullen spokesperson, Jane, calling off the wedding. Forget the flu shot, I need a trip to meet that hot doc," he read.

"I have to go, Mark," I said. "Don't say a word about this to anyone else until I hear exactly what's going on from Bella herself."

"You got it, Chief!" he said. "The gossip mill in Forks is going to go crazy!"

I hung up the phone and paced the living room, before giving in and turning on the TV, turning off the ball game and turning to one of the gossip channels. I watched for anything they might have to say about the Cullen's, or Bella. I dialled Jake's number a few times but I was more anxious to hear from Bella herself. Finally, twenty one minutes after our call ended, my phone rang.

"Bella?" I asked.

"No, Sir," the female voice said. "I am Alice Cullen."

"Emmett's sister," I said.

"Yes, Sir," she said.

"Where is Bella?" I asked her.

"Well, I asked her if I could talk to you first," she explained.

"And?" I asked.

"I wanted to explain some things. Things that Bella herself doesn't know yet, that may help you to understand this situation," she said.

"I don't think that's possible, Ms. Cullen," I said. "I don't understand at all how my baby girl could up and marry a man that I've never even met. Then how she could let me find out from strangers on my lawn rather than calling me herself."

"Please," she said. "My name is just Alice. I can't necessarily explain all that, but I want to tell you about my brother. My brother has always been very closed off, defensive, and afraid to let anyone get too close. Then he met Bella. You have to know he is not a spontaneous person. He thinks every move through before he makes it, yet he married her after knowing her for just a few hours."

"That doesn't make me feel better. Hours?" I said.

"You should see them together," Alice said. "I have never seen my brother so at peace, content to just be near her. He loves her, and she loves him. You can just see it."

"But she didn't even call," I said.

"I really don't think she had much of a chance," Alice said. "There was some confusion the morning after they got married and Bella ended up flying back to Seattle with Jake, actually unaware of the fact they were married or even who Emmett really was."

"She didn't know who he was?" I asked, not liking the sound of it at all.

"I don't know if you are aware of who my family is," she said.

"I do now, sort of," I said. "My deputy... friend, Mark told me. But I didn't know when I heard the name."

"Well, she didn't either," Alice said. "Honestly, you two must come from another planet, we can't do a damn thing without reporters talking about it. It is very frustrating."

"If it isn't on ESPN or in the sports pages then I don't see it," I said, with a sigh. "And Bella is just her own person. I don't know how I feel about her being pulled into all of this."

"You and Emmett both," Alice sighed. "If he could give it all up for her, he would."

"Anyways, she started to try to look for him and he started to try to look for her," Alice explained. "It wasn't until she met Edward at the hospital... well and with a nudge from Jake..."

"You know Jake too?" I asked, feeling left out.

"Yeah," she replied with a giggle. "Great guy, I can't wait to take him shopping."

"That sounds dangerous," I said. "You don't know what you've gotten yourself into. None of us will come within a mile of Jake when he shops."

"My family feels the same way about me!" Alice giggled. "Anyways, the reason I got on the phone was to help you with the parasites on your lawn."

"If I ignore them, they'll go away," I said, firmly.

"Not going to happen," Alice said. "They're leeches!"

"So what do you suggest?" I asked.

"Our publicist is going to confirm the news of their marriage to our sources now. I suggest you do the same," she said.

"So, I'm supposed to get out on my porch and say my kid got hitched?" I asked.

Alice giggled on the other end of the line and it made me smile. This whole situation was so bizarre.

"He loves her?" I asked, confirming with Alice.

"With all that he is, Chief Swan," Alice said.

"What do I say?" I asked.

"I suggest... 'My daughter Isabella is married to Emmett Cullen. I look forward to spending time with them this weekend' or something like that," she said.

"Won't they know if I don't spend time with them this weekend?" I asked.

"You aren't coming down with your three days off?" she asked.

"How do you know I have three days off?" I asked.

"Jake," she said. The boy couldn't keep his mouth shut about anything. He was over-excitable at best and once you got him talking, he'd spill about anything... except Bella. When they were little both young, Billy and I had hoped that Jake and Bella would end up together. I think I knew it wasn't going to happen fairly early when Jake was more interested in Bella's dress up clothes and Barbies then she was.

"So I am supposed to come down?" I asked. "How do I know that Bella has the time off?"

"She does," Alice answered.

"Jake?" I asked.

"Jake," she replied.

"Why do I think that you and Jake are going to be trouble together?" I asked.

"Me?" she giggled.

"So, can I talk to my girl now?" I asked. "She is still my little girl you know."

"Always," Alice said. "Let me get her."

There was a short pause while Alice found Bella, then I could hear the two girls talking. Bella had cooked for them all, and apparently Alice was impressed. My girl was incredible, of course she was impressed.

"Hello," my little girl said into the phone.

"Hi, Baby Girl," I said.

"How are you?" she asked.

"A hell of a lot calmer now," I said, listening to Bella's voice. Her voice told me so much, when her words, or mine, were inadequate. I could tell when she was sad, stressed, nervous... just by the sound of her voice. This tone was one I hadn't heard in far too long. She was happy.

"What did Alice say?" she asked, with a little giggle. "You were ready to have a coronary the last time we spoke."

"She told me what a good guy her brother is and that he will treat you right, mostly," I said, believing the perky woman that I had just spoken to.

"You didn't do the cop-dad thing did you?" she asked, groaning in frustration. I tell you, you chase one boy away and you never live it down. All I said to her prom date was that if he thought about getting under that dress, I'd know and he'd be singing soprano for the rest of his life. Not like I threatened to kill him or anything!

"No," I said, thinking about the boy who had run down the front steps so fast he face-planted in the grass before hopping into his car and driving away. "I'm saving that until I meet him."

"Dad!" she said sounding very much like the teenage version of her that arrived downstairs to find that her prom date had run away.

"It's my job, Honey," I said, laughing at the memory of her kitten-like anger. "I have to."

"Be nice," she warned.

"I'll try," I said, knowing that if he was good to her that I'd have no issue with him. "No promises. Now I'm off to call and interrogate Jake."

"He's at work," she said, sounding a little smug. "Good luck with that."

"No worries," I said. "I'll just use my police chief rank."

"Dad!" she groaned.

"Bye, Honey," I said. "See you on Saturday." I hung up before she could say anything else. As soon as I had done so, I called Jake and laid it on thick. He told me pretty much the same thing that Alice had, including the way that Bella looked at Emmett, and that Emmett looked at her the same way.

"Just wait until you see them, Charlie," Jake said. "You'll see it, too."

As soon as I had hung up the phone with Jake, I adjusted my uniform and opened my door, stepping out onto my porch to face the reporters who seemed to have multiplied since I went in. They started screaming questions at me and I simply held up my hand, motioning for them all to be quiet.

"I have a statement that I will make. I will not answer any questions, leaving those for the Cullen spokesperson to deal with," I said, pausing to make sure they all understood.

The twenty-three reporters and cameramen that were in my front lawn were silent. The only noises were from cameras that kept flashing and other equipment that they carried.

"Yes, my daughter Isabella has married Emmett Cullen in a private ceremony. They have asked that their privacy be respected and that any further questions or comments be directed to the Cullen representative. From me, I will add that I am looking forward to spending some time with both Isabella and my new son-in-law. Thank you," I said.

The questions started flying again and I held up my hand.

"This is a small town, with a small police force, which I am Chief of. If you do not wish to be arrested for trespassing, harassment, or public nuisance, I recommend that you all get back into your cars and head back to Seattle. I will guarantee that anyone in this town who would actually say anything to you about Isabella doesn't know her well enough to say anything at all," I finished. "Good night."

The reporters scrambled quite quickly after that, and I went inside, locked the door and grabbed the glass that I had taken out of the cupboard, filling it with three fingers of scotch. I returned the bottle to the cupboard, and swirled the amber liquid in my glass. I hadn't even taken a sip when my phone rang.

"Hello," I said, cautiously, wondering if some reporter had managed to get my number.

"You look good on TV, Chief," Mark said laughing at me.

"Already?" I asked. "Shit, I just came in and grabbed a drink. It's already on the air?"

"So it's true?" he asked.

"Yeah, apparently they met in Vegas and tied the knot four hours later," I said.

"That's great," Mark said. "Now I can say I know a celebrity."

We chatted for a few more minutes before signing off. I checked outside and my lawn was empty of people and the street was void of any strange cars. The next morning, I got up and watched the damned celebrity news. Apparently, some of the reporters hadn't gotten the memo and they were interviewing everyone they could in town about her. So far, the only person who had said anything other than the fact that Bella was sweet and a good girl was Jessica Stanley, a bitter girl that Bella went to school with but never associated with. All her statement did was to make her look like a bitter harpy; that may have been a result of her most recent round of plastic surgery though.

The day went on with endless phone calls at the station. If it wasn't one of the local residents checking to see if the reports were true, it was a reporter hoping I would give them a scoop on Isabella's past. By that evening I was ready to get home and chill, and watch the game on TV. I was thrilled to find that the front of my house was completely unencumbered by vehicles or reporters and I breathed a sigh of relief. That sigh was short lived when I got in the door. The light on the answering machine was beeping. Seventeen missed messages. Shit!

I made my way to the fridge and grabbed a beer, before I went to the damned contraption and pressed the button. This number was private so I knew whoever called me here knew me.

"Hello Charlie, it's Sam." Delete. He just wanted to know about Bella. He could talk to Jake.

"So she's a married woman," Billy's voice said from the machine. "On my way over for beer and ball so you better be ready to order pizza, Old Man." Delete. I hoped the old coot got here soon.

The next eleven messages were all friends calling because they heard about Bella. I deleted them all and figured it would work itself out in the wash.

The next message made my blood run cold.

"Hey Charlie," the tentative voice said. It had been a long time since I had last heard that voice, and it wasn't one I wanted to hear now. She walked out the door without a backwards glance at either Bella or me. Renee. "Long time, no hear. I saw that our Bella got married. You looked real good on TV. I'd tell you to call me back, but we both know that won't happen. I'll try to call you another time."

How dare she? How dare she call now? She walked out on Bella and I when Bella was two and never contacted us again. Now she wants back in because Bella is all over the television. Damn it! I called Mark and asked him to run her name, I knew she had been in and out of trouble over the years and I wanted to find out where she was now. I was still on the phone with Mark when Billy let himself in.

"She's in prison in Utah," Mark said. "Embezzlement, fraud, and about twelve more charges. She's in for thirty years."

"Thanks, Mark," I said. "I think she's trying to make trouble again. If she calls again, I'm going to have my phone tapped. Bella doesn't need this shit."

"I've got your back," he said.

"Who's making trouble?" Billy asked.

"Renee," I said.

"Shit! I haven't heard that name in years," he said.

"And I could have gone many more years without hearing it again," I said.

"Agreed. What shit is she into now?" he asked.

"She's in prison again. Fraud, embezzlement... and a dozen other things," I said.

"And she's contacting you now because of Bella's name is on the news?" he asked.

"That's my guess," I said.

"Well, shit!" he said. "Baby Girl doesn't need that stress, especially with everything else going on in her life."

"No more talk about Renee," I said. "What do you want on your pie?"

"Do you even have to ask?" he said.

"Just checking," I laughed. I dialled the pizza joint and Leah answered the phone.

"Hey, Chief," she said. "You want the usual?" Stupid call display!

"Yeah, and Billy is here tonight too," I said.

"Thirty minutes," she said. "Oh, and tell Bella congrats. We saw you on the news. So exciting."

"Thanks, Leah," I said. "Seth delivering tonight?"

"Of course," she said. "See ya, Chief!"

I hung up the phone and grabbed the beer from the fridge so I wouldn't have to get up and get it again. Seth knew us so well; he'd just come in and drop the pizza before heading out again. Billy had the game on and took his normal seat. We sat in silence just sipping our beer. Seth arrived a short time later and dropped the pizza on the coffee table between us and grabbing the twenty we left in the regular spot.

"So how are you?" Billy asked when the game ended.

"I am scared shitless," I said honestly. "She's married and I have no clue who the guy is. He has more money than God, and the press is looking for any little sin that Bella may have ever committed."

"Jake says he's a good guy. He likes everyone, but the father-in-law. Apparently, he gave Baby Girl a pretty hard time."

"What?" I asked. "Why didn't I hear about this?"

"I think the kids were trying to deal with it. Apparently the husband is pretty pissed and so is the sister," he said.

"Alice," I said. "I talked to her. She seems like a nice girl."

"You just gotta trust her, Charlie," he said. "Just be there for her no matter what."

"You know it," I said.

"Well I had three, I'm heading for the guest room," he said.

"I have to work early. Just lock up on your way out," I said.

"You bet," he said, moving slowly down to the guest room.

I quickly tossed the empties in the recycling bin and put the leftover pizza in the fridge; breakfast of champions tomorrow. I climbed the stairs and headed for bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was up with the alarm at six o'clock the next morning, ready to be at work by half past. I had a quick shower and shave, before tossing on a fresh uniform. I put my gun belt and badge on and ran a comb through my hair and headed out the door to my cruiser. The phones were actually quiet this morning, and I thanked my lucky stars for that, and set about catching up on paperwork. It was after nine that I got the call that set my world on fire.

My Baby Girl was in trouble. Hostage situation... gun man... one person shot... Bella was in the room, as well as a female patient.

I almost slammed into Mark as I dashed for the door.

"Where's the fire, Chief?" he asked.

"Bella's in trouble," I said to him. "I have to get to Seattle."

"Let's go," he said. "I'm driving."

I didn't argue. I just ran for the door, heading for his squad car. He jumped in and we both fastened our belts before he flipped on the lights and sirens. I hadn't even told him what was up but he just knew it was something big. About an hour into the drive, he finally asked what was going on.

"Hostage situation at the hospital," I said. "The gunman has already shot one person."

"Shit!" he said, pressing the accelerator even harder.

It took us a little over three hours to make the usually four-hour drive. Once we got to the hospital there were squad cars and SWAT vehicles all over. I approached the nearest officer.

"Excuse me," I said. "I'm Police Chief Charlie Swan. My daughter is in there."

"Chief Swan," he greeted smartly. "Our chief told us to expect you. Wait here for a minute while I get the liaison."

I waited for a minute, pacing like a caged tiger. Mark stayed nearby and tried to calm me down but now that I was close to her, I just couldn't. I was her daddy and I needed to protect her.

"Chief Swan," the new officer greeted. "Let me fill you in on all the latest. She is being held captive with Rosalie Hale. The gunman is Congressman Royce King II."

"Congressman King?" I asked, shocked that someone in such a position would do something like this.

"Yes, Sir," he said. "We made contact with her about twenty minutes in. She had already secured the injured man got out with another doctor who was in the room with her. She told us all she could. She seemed calm and in control."

"Why the hell is he doing this?" I asked.

"It has a lot to do with Rosalie Hale," he said. "She was the target and it seems that your daughter may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"So what now?" I asked.

"We have a conference room set up on the far side of the seventh floor for the family to wait," he said.

"Who's there now?" I asked.

"Her husband and his family, I believe," he said. "As well as one very tall native guy in Snoopy scrubs."

"Jake," I said. "Is there anyway to get into her?"

"She's a smart girl, Chief," he said. "We're doing what we can to help, but there is no way in other than the one door and we have no line of sight into the room."

"So she's trapped? I said, feeling my heart plummet into my stomach.

"Yes sir," he said, reluctantly after a small pause. "She's been incredible. Our crisis negotiators are more than thrilled with her quick thinking."

"Why is that?" I asked, needing any bit of hope I could get. I knew the statistics on long drawn out hostage situations.

"She was the one to answer to answer the call and after talking to the negotiator, she has the phone off the hook so they have a direct contact into the room. She is doing everything she can to keep the man talking, and calm, plus, she keeps dropping little sayings telling us where in the room they are, in case we get an opportunity to enter, we have a bearing on where the two hostages are."

I nodded my head. I knew my baby girl was smart.

"She also has him talking about things that are important to him, giving him hope that he can get out of there safely," he said.

"I told her..." I started to say but couldn't say anymore. He led Mark and I up to the elevators and to the seventh floor. I had only been here once before, two years ago when Bella started her residency. The place before me looked nothing like a hospital, more like a COM center. There were officers everywhere and I felt the panic grip me further. It was real. My baby girl was in trouble and there was not a damned thing I could do about it.

"Are you okay, Chief?" Mark asked as we stood outside the door.

"How am I supposed to go meet my daughter's husband without her?" I asked. "I don't think I can do this."

"You can, Chief," he said. "Put on your cop face and get it done."

My cop face….

_Bella had coined that one when she was little and she and Jake were in trouble. She was only three at that time and she and Jake had snuck a bag of cookies from the pantry. I probably wouldn't have noticed the cookies missing if it wasn't for the chocolate handprints on the wall and the two messy faces._

"_Isabella Marie and Jacob Taylor," I called to the two little miscreants._

"_Don't tell him nothin'," Jake stage whispered to Bella. They linked hands and clip clopped down the hall in little plastic high-heeled shoes. Even then Jake could walk better on heels than Bella._

"_Yes, Daddy," my little baby girl said, looking so innocent and guilty at the same time._

"_Did you take some cookies?" I asked, giving her a serious look while trying not to laugh at the cookie covered face in front of me trying her best to look innocent._

"_We're in trouble, Jake," Bella stage whispered to her cohort in crime. "He's got his cop face on."_

From then on, whenever I got serious, I had my cop face on. I looked at Mark and smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. I stood up straight and did exactly what Mark suggested. I put my cop face on.

Once we got in the door, Alice was the first one to come see me. Actually I think she reached Mach 2 trying to get across the room.

"Charlie," she said, hugging me tightly. "I'm so glad you're here."

Jake gave me a half smile from his seat next to a bronze haired man. The man had blood on him and I could only assume that he was the one that had been in the room with Bella. I wanted to ask how it was that he was out and she was still in there. Call me sexist, but I would have never left a lady behind. Never.

I introduced Mark to Alice and she introduced us to the others in the room.

"Charlie, Mark," she said sweetly. "This is my fiancé, Jasper, my parents, Esme and Carlisle, my brother, Edward, of course you know Jacob, and this is my brother, Emmett, Bella's husband."

"Chief," Emmett said, sticking his hand out for me to shake. I grabbed his hand and shook it, but didn't let him go.

"Emmett," I said, almost scowling at him. The boy was big and burly, looking like he probably lifted weights. By the size of him, I imagined that he could probably carry my Bella around as if she weighed nothing. But upon further inspection, he looked like a strong wind could knock him over. He was as broken as I felt and I wanted to say something, anything.

"She's going to be okay," I said to him.

"I know," he replied. "She has to be."

"Exactly," I said, finally letting go of his hand.

Jake was at my side next and he threw his arms around me and sobbed.

"I should have been with her," he cried. "I promised to look out for her."

"She's going to be fine," I repeated. "She'll be out in no time."

I recall briefly shaking everyone else's hands and finding myself in front of Edward, who wouldn't even look me in the eyes.

"Edward," I said.

He looked up sadly.

"I tried," he said. "I really did."

"I know you did, Son," I said to him. I just knew, looking at his broken expression that he would have still been in there now if he could.

"So what do you all know?" I asked, which caused Mark to chuckle.

"Always the chief," he said.

We compared notes on what I knew, and what they had been told, which was not a lot. They also shared what led Congressman King to this point. My problem is that every time Carlisle Cullen opened his mouth, Billy's words came back to me. He had a problem with my daughter being a part of his family and so I found myself clenching my fists at the sound of his voice. Jake stayed close to me, whether he sensed that I may need some help staying calm or he just needed the comfort of a friendly face. It was good. I watched as all the Cullen's

reacted to the stress. Edward closed himself off, hardly speaking a word to anyone. Carlisle tried to get things done, trying to see if a monetary reward would end this. Esme flitted between everyone in the room, doing what she could to soothe each person. Alice stayed almost perfectly still, just leaning on Jasper for support. Jasper stared off into space, holding Alice close. Emmett did a million different things, pacing, cracking his knuckles, glaring at his father, pacing some more, looking at his phone... the list goes on.

Finally, after what felt like forever, we heard some commotion in the hall. Emmett flung the door open to see what was happening, only to be pushed back in and told to stay there. We all stood silently, anxious to see or hear anything.

Mark slipped into the hall, using his uniform to try to blend in and get some information for us. The minutes ticked by and I swore I could hear the clock slowing down as each second passed. Then the door was open and I knew Mark was back with some information for me. I looked up expectantly, aiming to meet my friend's eyes so that I would know before he said anything, but instead of Mark, my baby girl stood there. She was covered from the neck down in blood, which made my heart skip a beat. Was she hurt?

Bella's eyes went straight to Emmett, and she practically launched herself into his arms.

"Bella," he called out in a strangled sob, pulling her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, and her legs. I could see what Jake and Alice had said. They were in love, and I knew the man that cradled the person that meant more to me than anything in the world, would take good care of her.

I felt the shuddering breaths that escaped my chest as I fought to maintain my emotional control.

"She's safe," Jake muttered over and over again next to me. I didn't know if he was saying it to calm himself or me.

"I love you," I heard my baby girl say to the man who held her tightly in his arms. "I love you so much."

The giant man didn't care that we were all still in the room, he took a great shuddered breath of his own and told her how scared he had been.

"I'm okay," she soothed him. "This isn't my blood. I'm perfectly fine."

He placed his mouth to her ear and began whispering to her, and I watched as her body relaxed against him. I stared at the two of them; I just couldn't pull my eyes from my baby girl. She was okay, and she was in love. Neither of them seemed to notice the rest of us in the room.

"Okay, best friend needs a hug, too!" Jake yelled from next to me, obviously getting impatient.

"So does the father," I added, letting my impatience out.

Emmett and Bella shared one tender kiss, the kind where those around feel the need to look away because it's so intimate. He set her down on her feet, though it seemed she was reluctant to let go. Once she was down, she moved over to me.

"Daddy," she said, tears flooding her pretty brown eyes. "I remembered. I remembered everything you told me."

"I knew you would, Baby Girl. I knew you'd be okay," I said, feeling my emotional cover-up slip. I pulled her to me tightly and let my tears slip down my cheeks. I wasn't sure when my baby got so grown up.

"I love you, Baby Girl," I said, giving her one last squeeze. "Thank you for being okay."

"I love you, too, Daddy," she said burying her face in my shoulder. "You told me what to do, and I did it."

Once I let her go, I rubbed the tears off my cheeks and tried to smile at her. She moved her attention to Jake, who promptly burst into tears, sobbing incoherently. I watched as my girl melted into her best friend's hug and smiled. Even with a new hubby, Jake was still her best friend.

As she made her way around to the rest of her new family, I couldn't pull my eyes from her. I watched as both Esme and Alice held her, telling her how important she was to their family. Jasper hugged her too and they shared some quiet words. Whatever Bella said, really affected him. He gave her a strange expression and moved to Alice before they made their way out of the room. Jake whispered in my ear telling me about Jasper and Rosalie's connection. When Carlisle approached my daughter, I almost went for my gun. He held out his arms to hug her and I could see her hesitate before stepping into the hug. There was a quiet exchange between them and I noticed as Emmett moved close and as soon as he could, he pulled her into his arms.

She leaned against him for support and they shared a few words that had her scoping the room out. As soon as her eyes landed on Edward, she frowned and turned to Emmett. She asked him something, but he just shook his head and said a few words. Bella pulled away from him, though it looked like it pained them both, kissed him and moved to talk to his brother. We all moved away out of respect, but I could see that all of the Cullen's watched, hoping my little girl could help him.

As Bella looked over at us, we all tried to busy ourselves with something, anything, so they could have some privacy. I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation, we all could and I realized how horrible he must have felt, leaving her in there while he was safe. Emmett couldn't stand it anymore and went to Bella's side, talking to Edward himself. Both he and Bella letting Edward know that he did all he could. I listened as she talked about the guard as though he were one of her friends and swore to Edward that she was unharmed after he left. He finally seemed to get it and smiled at her, guilt still marring his features. He hugged her and we all breathed a sigh of relief as they started to chat, joking with each other. Finally at Bella's insistence, they all re-joined the group.

"So, Dad," she said. "I guess you've met the in-laws."

"You're still in trouble for the Vegas thing," I said, trying my best to use my cop face but failing miserably as I couldn't keep the happy smile off my face. My baby girl was safe, and loved. "I was supposed to walk you down the aisle."

"Sorry," she said with a sheepish smile.

The next second, everything seemed to stop as the sound of a gunshot echoed through the place. Bella cringed instantly, burying her face into Emmett. Other than Edward, the rest seemed uncertain as to the sound. Emmett asked and Bella simply nodded. I expected some kind of relief for her, but like with everything Baby Girl surprised me.

"He had kids, Em," she sobbed. "He had two kids that he loved. That loved him."

There was nothing any of us could say, so he just wrapped her into his arms, trying to protect her from everything else. Bella broke down, and began sobbing. I looked around and I could see that everyone else was feeling just as helpless as I was.

"I love you, Sweetheart," Emmett said softly to her, holding her to him and I felt like I was intruding in something so I pulled Jake from the room. Evidently I wasn't the only one as Edward, Carlisle and Esme followed us out. Carlisle set to work immediately, making plans to get everyone out of the hospital with a very minimal media circus. He was obviously used to that... didn't mean I liked him though. I really needed to talk to Jake. I needed to make sure what he had said to my daughter, exactly, word for word, before I let my anger completely take hold of me.

"Chief," Mark called, coming through the throng of officers that were in the hall. "They'd like to talk to you."

"Is he dead?" I asked him, knowing that if he weren't, I'd kill him myself.

"Yes, Sir," he said formally. "He ate his gun."

I cringed knowing exactly how messy that was, but glad that Bella wouldn't have to deal with a trial or the fear that he'd return. I followed Mark through the surrounding officers until I was introduced to the Chief of Police in Seattle. He wanted me to be involved with the press conference announcing what happened. I wasn't going to have to say anything, only stand there, so the appearance of support was there. I nodded my head and agreed to do so.

I was led up to a makeshift podium and stood behind the Chief as he announced the successful completion of the hostage situation. Successful from his standpoint maybe, but a man was dead, another was fighting for his life, and three more lived through their own version of hell. I shook his hand at the end and smiled at him, trying my best to look convincing.

"What are you doing now, Chief?" he asked.

"I don't know. Alice Cullen is right over there," I said. "I'm sure she'll know what's up."

We moved towards her.

"You looked great up there, Charlie," she said.

"Whatever," I responded, feeling my cheeks heat up at her compliment.

"They wanted to question Bella tonight, but Emmett nixed that plan, unless you wanted to override him. Apparently they decided not to ask you," she said as she noticed my face. How dare they ask for her tonight!

"We have some cars to take us back to the house. Do you want to stay for the night?" she asked. "Jake is staying with us."

"If it's not an imposition," I said.

"No worries," she said.

"How about you, Deputy?" Alice asked.

"If you have the room," he said. "Then I could get back on the road first thing in the morning."

"Oh, we have the room," Alice said, giggling.

Mark and I opted out of the limo ride in favor of his cruiser. The Seattle police asked us to use lights and sirens to clear the mass of reporters outside then turn them off once we were clear. I planned on staying to help Bella through the police questioning, then I was supposed to be visiting on Saturday anyways, so I figured I'd just take a quick stop at a mall on Friday to grab a few necessities and then grab the bus back to Forks on Sunday night.

We followed the limo through the crowd and for the next twenty minutes until we came to a large gate. After the limo went through, we were waved right through and started up a driveway that reminded me a lot of Forks; very green.

"Where are we going? Canada?" Mark asked after we had been on the driveway for a couple of minutes.

As soon as he said that, the road opened up and we were in front of a huge house. We looked at each other in awe and he was the first one to find his voice.

"I guess they do have room," he said.

"Wow," I said. "Kinda makes my house look small."

"This place is bigger than half of Forks," he said.

"We aren't in Kansas anymore," I said.

"Trish is going to freak out when she hears about this," Mark said.

It was true, his wife, Trish, was the biggest celebrity gossip-hound there was. She had practically flipped her lid when she head Bella married Emmett, and now her husband was staying in their home.

"I bet," I chuckled. "Maybe Esme will let you take some pictures."

"I could never ask that," he said.

"Your loss," I chuckled.

He pulled up behind the limo and Alice came bouncing over to the car to show Mark where to park. By the time we were parked and put of the car, all of the Cullen's had disappeared except for Alice and Esme.

"I assume you don't have any bags with you," Alice said.

"No," Mark said. "We got the call and hit the road."

"Well, we have toothbrushes, some casual clothes... boxers or briefs?" she asked, causing Mark to choke slightly.

"What?" I asked.

"I own my own clothes store," she said like it was nothing. "I'll have one of the girls put some stuff together for you. Boxers or briefs?"

"Boxers," I said.

"You're about a 32 inch waist?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"How about you Deputy?" she asked.

"Boxers as well, Ma'am," Mark said, finally finding his tongue.

"32 as well, right?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered, still shell shocked.

"It's just Alice, silly!" she said, skipping ahead into the house.

"Trish is going to flip!" he said again.

"Let me show you guys to your rooms. Jacob has already headed for the kitchen to get a head start on food, so I recommend you hurry up. That boy can pack away the food," Esme said.

"That he can," I laughed. I'd been feeding the kid since he was in diapers and still had no clue where he put the food. She led us into the house and Mark was in awe.

"Trish is going to flip," he said.

"Trish is your wife?" Esme asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," Mark said. "She loves all the celebrity stuff."

"You'll have to take some pictures then," Esme said. "I'm sure she'll enjoy, even if she can't be here."

"Really?" he asked.

"Sure," she said.

"Thank you," he said.

She showed us into huge guest rooms, both decorated nicely. I was scared to touch anything. Each room had it's own bathroom, with massive showers and jetted bathtubs.

"Wow," I said.

"We like to make sure our guests are comfortable," Esme said.

Mark was quick to slip off his boots and drop his badge and gun belt in his room, opening the top button on his shirt, to be more casual. I reluctantly did the same. I really wanted to keep my gun with me but I figured I'd better not. We followed Esme down to the dining room and my stomach snarled as I caught a whiff of the food.

"Emmett and Bella have decided to eat at the cottage this evening," she informed me. "They'll be by to join us for breakfast, if that's okay Charlie."

"She needs a good rest," I agreed, wanting to see her, but knowing her husband would take care of her.

Esme handed us each plates and told us to dig in. Jake was already there with his plate piled high with food.

"Hey, Papa Bear," he said, his mouth full.

"Didn't your father teach you any manners at all Jacob Black?" I asked him.

"Yes, Sir," he said swallowing. "It's just so good!"

I rolled my eyes and filled my plate. A young lady came around and offered us our choice of beverage and my ears perked up when I heard beer.

"I'll have a beer," I said with a grin.

"Foreign or domestic?" she asked.

"Domestic, please," I said.

Mark asked for the same. We were simple backwoods bumpkins and this was already overwhelming enough. Alice and Esme joined us at the table, telling us that the Carlisle, Edward and Jasper were eating in the study as they dealt with all the ramifications of today. I think I was glad for the chance to eat a meal without Carlisle Cullen in the room. After the meal, I was ready to retire to my room and grab a shower and some sleep. Mark and Jake were quick to follow, but Alice halted us.

"I have something for you all," she said. She led us through to the front hall and handed us each a couple of bags. These were not bags from Target, and from Jacob's reaction, I had a feeling that we were way out of out league.

"Thank you," Mark and I said, not even looking inside, instead watching Jacob rummage through his bags as he oohed and ahhed, and squealed like a little girl.

We headed up the stairs and into our rooms. I wasn't inside for two minutes when there was a knock at the door.

"Even the underwear are name brand," Mark said, opening the door. "Seriously! It would take me a day's salary to buy one pair!"

"Exactly!" Jacob said, walking in. "Isn't it awesome!"

"I am so out of my league," I said. "What am I ever going to be able to give Bella now?"

"Charlie," Jake said. "You know Bella's not like that."

"But really, Jake," I said. "I don't have anything like the Cullen's. Hell, you could probably fit all of Forks on this property."

"What did Bella want for Christmas when she was ten?" Jake asked. "Or even last year?"

"Jake," I said.

"She doesn't love you for what you can give her," he said. "It isn't going to change because she's married to Emmett."

"He's good for her," I said.

"He is," Jake said.

"So what happened with Daddy Cullen?" I asked Jake.

Jake's eyes got big and he let out a huge breath. "I will tell you, Charlie. But I am exhausted and we'll need a bit to talk about it. Can we do it in the morning?"

I agreed, simply because I was exhausted. I said goodnight to Jake and Mark and headed for the bathroom to have a shower. I decided that was something I might need to splurge on when I was done. Five showerheads were definitely something worth having. I opened my bag of clothes and found a pair of plaid sleep pants and a white t-shirt, which I slipped on, not even bothering to look at brand names, not that they would have meant anything to me. I brushed my teeth and climbed onto the king sized bed, sinking into the comfortable mattress gratefully.

Even with the quiet of the room and the comfort of the bed, I was awake before six the next morning. I lay in bed, thinking through all that had happened the previous few days. My heart leapt into my throat at the thought of my baby girl being in danger as she had been and I was glad I had been the overprotective daddy and told her all those things. They very well might have saved her life. I headed for the bathroom and had another shower. Nobody could blame me for that, that thing was heaven. I looked in the bags again, deciding I should be Daddy today, not Officer Swan.

I slipped into some of the casual clothes that Alice had arranged, amazed at how well everything fit, and went out into the hall. It may be early, but it was not too early to wake Jake and find out what was up with Carlisle Cullen.

"Jake," I said, knocking on his door.

"How did I know that you wouldn't wait until a decent hour?" he answered, opening the door.

"I need to know," I told him. "I heard a bit from Billy, but for the most part Carlisle himself has been giving himself away."

"How so?" Jake asked, sitting on his bed.

"He never offered to shake my hand," I said. "He won't keep eye contact for more than a second. I need to know Jake."

"You aren't going to like it," Jake said.

"That bad?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said. "You have to know that both Emmett and I stood up for her... And you should have seen how she stood up for herself too..."

"What the hell did he say?" I asked, clenching my teeth.

Jake filled me in on the conversation that he had witnessed in the hospital, and admitted his part in it. Then he told me about the conversation in the doctor's lounge, as told to him by Alice. By the time he moved on to the way he treated her in this house, I was already shaking with anger.

"So he had her investigated?" I asked, trying to reel in my anger.

"Apparently," Jake scoffed. "Like there is anything to find."

"What happened after that?" I asked him.

"He told Emmett to ditch her... that she would make a good mistress but that she wasn't worthy of being a Cullen."

"I need to find him," I said, fuming.

"Charlie," he said. "Just wait."

"Like hell, I'm waiting," I growled. "How dare he insinuate that my daughter is a gold digger? How dare he treat her that way? He had no fucking clue about her at all, yet he chose to throw all these things at her! What happened to innocent until proven guilty? He didn't even give her a chance!"

"Charlie," Jake said. "Let me finish."

"There's more?" I asked, feeling sick to my stomach.

"Emmett looked like he was going to kill his father," Jake continued. "He said that IF Baby Girl chose to take his name that he would be honored, but that he'd never expect it because he knew she worked hard to get where she was. And then something about him being an ass or something."

My new son-in-law was gaining many brownie points with me.

"Carlisle insisted that Bella was in it for the money. Then he said 'what else could it be?'," Jake said. "Bella stepped in at that point. You would have been so proud. I think she called him a condescending pompous ass, and then I told him that he not only prejudged her, but Emmett as well, when he insinuated that there was nothing she would find in him other than his money."

My pride in my baby girl just went WAY up!

"Carlisle defended himself, stating that he would never degrade his son," Jake said. "He would have gone on, but Emmett threatened him with bodily harm."

The fact that Emmett stood against his father for Baby Girl was giving me some peace, and it was likely the only thing that was preventing me from grabbing my daughter and getting the hell out of here.

"Bella told him that if he thought money was the answer to everything, that she pitied him," Jake said. "Then he told her she had a price like everyone else."

"A price?" I asked, seething.

"He gave her some papers, against Emmett's wishes I might add," Jake said.

"What was on the papers?" I growled.

"It was what was in them that was so bad," Jake said. "A check for twenty five million and annulment papers."

"Twenty five million?" I asked, never having contemplated an amount of money.

"Yeah, and she ripped it up telling Carlisle that she didn't want his money, but that if Emmett asked her to sign the papers, she would, without a cent," Jake said. "Emmett tore up the papers before she finished her statement, and I thought that would be the end of it. Then the ass whips out a pre-nup."

"Pre-nup?" I asked.

"A contract to protect the Cullen money in case Bella and Emmett split," Jake said. "Emmett nearly blew a gasket and told her he didn't want or expect it."

I liked that boy.

"Carlisle asked her if she would have married him if he had nothing?" Jake said.

I hated that man. Thank God, Emmett seemed to have gotten his sense from his mother.

"She said that when she met him, she didn't know if he drove a Pinto or a Porsche and that she would sign his stupid papers if that's what it took for her to prove to him that she didn't want his money. But even that wasn't good enough for Carlisle and he snarked at her as she looked at the contract. The only time she balked was when it spoke of what money she would get. She told him that she wanted no part of their money, and only relented when I begged her and pointed out that she was never going to be able to go back to being just Bella again."

"I need to find that man," I said.

"Wait Charlie," Jake said.

"There's more?" I asked, looking at him incredulously.

"Baby Girl asked Emmett if they could leave, and Emmett's parting glance and words were cutting at best. I couldn't even speak I was so mad. Emmett tried to get her out of the house. Carlisle followed and Emmett told him that he would feel like a complete ass for his assumptions about her and that even if she forgave him, he didn't think he would," Jake said.

Damn, I was going to have a hard time pulling the strict father thing when he was already proving to be such a good guy.

"Then Esme and everyone got involved and Carlisle just looked like someone kicked his puppy," Jake said in his characteristic flamboyant style. "Then we had to talk about what Rosalie could do to hurt them."

"Rosalie? The other girl that was in the room with Bella?" I asked.

"You don't know about that? Ewww," Jake said.

"What do I need to know?" I asked, crossing my arms slowly, warning Jake with my body language that I wanted to be told and now.

"Well, first, she's Jasper's sister. Not that he likes to broadcast that... and Edward was engaged to her until a couple of days ago. When everything went down at the hospital, Rosalie was an absolute bitch to Bella. Edward saw her for who she really was and called off the wedding. Then a private investigator gave them some pictures and papers that proved Rosalie was sleeping with another man and was pregnant with his baby," Jake said.

"It's like living in a freaking soap opera," I said, frowning.

"Guess who the daddy is? Was," Jake said.

"The congressman?" I asked.

"Exactly!" Jake said. "After he went running into the room Baby Girl and Edward ran in to try to protect Rosalie."

"What the hell!" I asked. "If they were worried about Rosalie or the congressman, why would anyone let Bella get near them?"

"She ran into the room, Charlie," Jake said. "I was dealing with another patient but the other nurses heard Edward beg her to stay out and she refused. You know what she's like when she gets her mind set on something."

"And yet this Carlisle character still thinks my little girl is some kind of gold digger?" I asked.

"Apparently... he apologized to her, but she wasn't sure that she accepted," he said.

"She damn well better not," I growled. "I need to have words with that son of a bitch!"

"Just leave your gun behind," Jake said. "Baby Girl does not need to visit her daddy in prison, no matter how much Carlisle deserves it."

I darted out of the room, with Jake hot on my heels. I made my way down the stairs towards the kitchen. I knew that Carlisle's office was along that corridor. If he wasn't there, I wasn't sure what I planned.

"Carlisle Cullen," I yelled as I reached the corridor.

"In there," Jake said pointing to a closed door.

I opened the door quickly, happy to hear the slam of the door opening into the wall behind it. Carlisle was at his desk, sitting with his head in his hands. He didn't even lift his head to acknowledge my presence.

"So I'm not good enough for you to even look at me? Is that what it is?" I asked angrily from my position in the doorway. "Apparently, my daughter is worth twenty five million, though!"

He moved his head and looked up at me. His eyes were bloodshot, and if I thought I had seen him at his worse yesterday, I was wrong. The man looked like he hadn't slept in a month.

"Charlie, I..." he started to say.

"You what?" I asked impatiently.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You're sorry?" I asked. "For what part of this shit storm? The fact that you told my daughter that she wasn't good enough to be part of your family? Or that you tried to throw money at her to make her leave your son? Or was it the fact that you bullied her into signing your damned contract?"

He just stared at me, unable to say a word.

"Maybe you're sorry that my daughter ended up locked in a room with a gun-toting madman because of you!" I snarled, crossing the room so I was standing directly across the large mahogany desk from him.

I heard Jake come into the room, though he just stood behind me. He didn't say a word, but I knew he wouldn't. He was going to give me my chance to tell Carlisle exactly what I felt. Then he'd probably try to stop me from doing anything too stupid. Of course, he'd have to remember to keep his thumbs out when he punched.

"Charlie, I didn't want her to be hurt," he said, sounding quite dejected. It didn't soothe my anger in the least.

"No," I said. "I guess it would have been better for you if the son of a bitch had killed her!"

"No, please," Carlisle said. "I know I was a jackass..."

"Were?" I asked, not really wanting an answer. "You're a father, dammit. Not only do you have two sons, but you have a little girl of your own. Is that how you would expect her to be treated by her husband's family? Is that what you want her to have to hear?"

"No," he said, putting his head back in his hands.

"So my little girl didn't matter to you? My little girl's feelings didn't matter?" I asked.

"I didn't think..." he said, not moving his head from his hands.

"No, you didn't. You didn't think she had a family that loved her? You find out about the useless woman who walked out of her life when she was a baby and make assumptions based on that? But wait, you didn't even have that information when you first disrespected her," I said, feeling my anger boiling inside of me.

"I didn't think," he said again.

"You didn't think that anyone would stand up for her? Or maybe you didn't think she was worth that! Let me tell you something, my baby girl is good," I said, my voice breaking, as I fought to keep myself in check. "She didn't deserve anything you dealt her. She didn't deserve to be treated like a common whore, or someone who wasn't worthy of respect."

"Charlie," he said, standing up and looking at me.

"NO!" I said to him. "You get to listen to me. That little girl didn't have the easiest life. I raised her. I knew nothing about kids, especially little girls. Hell, I couldn't cook to save my life, and most of her meals came from the diner until she learned to cook. She could have had a cheeseburger every night, but she ate salads, and healthy meals all on her own. By the time she was four she was making sure I ate my vegetables."

Jake came over and stood right behind me, putting his hand on my shoulder as if to support me in some small way. Carlisle just looked at me, absolutely silently.

"If she wasn't with me, she was usually with Jake and his dad, and she took care of them too," I said. "When she was nine, she got her first part time job, helping neighbors with small tasks like weeding their gardens or light housework. She worked for them for six months, putting every penny in a jar. I'd ask her if she wanted to spend it on anything but the answer was always no. Finally, just before Christmas, she told me she wanted me to take her to a toy store. I was glad to, thinking that she finally wanted to see a reward for all of her hard work. I was wrong," I said.

Carlisle just looked at me, seeming to drink up the information I was providing.

"She managed to fill two carts full of toys," I said, watching his face as I continued. "I questioned all the different things she picked, but figured that she may have been planning on sharing them with Jake and some of the other boys on the reservation that gravitated towards her. But no, on the way home she asked to stop at the hospital. She wanted to drop off all the toys for kids who didn't have anything else."

Carlisle flinched.

"This was the girl you said wasn't worthy of being in your family," I said.

"Charlie," he said, moving around his desk. "I..."

"No," I said menacingly. "I am going to tell you how my little girl made friends with everyone in our town. She claims it is the small town atmosphere, but I know it's her. I can't go anywhere in town without someone asking how she is doing and really wanting to know. She affects everyone she meets."

"I see that now," Carlisle said.

"Then why? Why did you treat her like she didn't matter? Like she wasn't worthy..." I said.

"I don't know, Charlie," he said. "I don't. I panicked and overreacted."

"And that makes it alright?" I asked.

"No," he said. "It doesn't."

"I had an experience when I was young... I was taken for a ride by a young lady who thought I was her meal ticket. When Emmett came back, he was so broken... I didn't understand. When Esme finally managed to pull what happened from him, I thought he had been taken. I saw and felt my hurt through my son and I put Bella in the same category as... Elizabeth. You're right I didn't give her a chance," he said.

"So you attack her at her workplace?" I asked. "And even after she told you that she didn't care about your money, and your son made it clear that he loved her and wanted to make it work you still tried to convince him that she was only worthy of being his mistress."

"I was so stunned. There was so much going on... Edward was about to marry an absolute bitch, and Emmett had been so broken he could barely move!" he said. "I was a father to my boys. I tried to protect them the only way I knew how."

"By attacking my daughter? By treating her like she wasn't worth the toilet paper you use to wipe your ass?" I asked.

"I can't change anything, Charlie. I can't, I can't go back. I told Bella that I was sorry. I explained and I hope at some point she will grant me forgiveness," he said.

That was too much for me. He knew my daughter had a forgiving nature and was trying to use it to his advantage. Something in me snapped and I reached over, grabbing him by the front of his very expensive shirt.

"And you think that saying sorry is going to fix it? That she can forget all the terrible words you said? That she will forgive you for everything? It doesn't work that way. Do you know what she has been through? Do you have any idea of how hard she had to work to get where she is?" I asked.

"God, Charlie. I want to fix this. I was an ass. I treated her terribly when she didn't deserve it. I was wrong and I don't know how to fix it. You're right I couldn't look at you. I knew that someone would have told you what I'd done and I was ashamed. I didn't see her, not as a person. I saw that my son had been hurt and then I saw her in the same light as Elizabeth. I didn't see her as someone's friend, or daughter. I didn't take the time that my family did to try to get to know her before I passed the most heinous judgement against her and my stupidity has cost me so much you'll never understand. Not only does my daughter-in-law probably detest me, my son hates me. My wife is so angry she won't even speak to me, and informed me that I better not even attempt to sleep in the same room. My daughter and son-in-law-to-be can barely look at me. Edward is hurting and he won't even talk to me. I have to live with that because for the first time in my life, I can't fix it. I can't just throw money at a problem and make it go away. I can't take back a thing I said, but I want to..." he said, dissolving into tears.

I let go of his shirt. I didn't even know how to deal with him. He had seen what I needed him to see, but I didn't know how to help him deal with the problem he had created. I didn't know if I wanted to.

"I know she's a good person, far better than I will ever be," he said, breaking into my musing. "I know that she had no reason to give a shit about Rosalie Hale, yet she willingly ran into that room to protect someone who treated her like crap. I know that she risked her own life to save the guard that was shot. I know that she begged Edward to take the guard out of there, instead of begging Royce to let her go. I know that I have never misjudged anyone as much as I misjudged her."

"So you say the right words now. How does that excuse the horrid things you accused her of? How does that excuse you telling her she wasn't good enough for you and your family?" I asked.

"It doesn't," Carlisle said, looking me in the eye. "I can make a million excuses. Some good and some not so good, but at the end of the day, I saw my son hurting and I jumped to conclusions. And Emmett and Jake... and you Charlie... You're all right. I decided that she was to blame, and I created an image of what I expected to find, without ever looking at her. And I am sorry. I am so sorry, you could not possibly understand. I look at her, and I look at my son... And I have hurt them both with my stupidity and I can't make that right. They should be allowed to be newlyweds and enjoy their life, but I made that impossible. I brought that on them, and I can't take it away!"

"And I am supposed to feel sorry for you? You did this to yourself," I said.

"No, I..." he began to sputter.

"Bella didn't grow up with this," I said gesturing around me. "She grew up in a house with two bedrooms and one bathroom. The whole bottom floor would fit in this room. She didn't go to parties, she didn't cause trouble... She went to prom because I begged her to. She was so smart and determined but she was ready to go to community college because she knew we'd never be able to afford what she really wanted, and it was only through the grace of scholarships that she got anywhere! In fact, she was accepted into four different schools, all with a scholarship. She ended up choosing Stanford because she was able to get a job while on scholarship as long as she kept up an impossibly high GPA. And she did it. Do you know how much of her college fund she touched? None. She has school loans for some things, but still refuses my money to pay for them. This is the girl that you accused of being a gold digger!"

"Charlie..."

"No!" I roared. "You don't get to talk!"

He just nodded.

"All I wanted for her was for her to be happy. I wanted others to see what an amazing person she is," I said. "But you didn't even give her a chance! You were judge, jury, and executioner."

He bowed his head.

"I don't know how you're going to make this right with her. And I'm sure my opinion doesn't matter, but I doubt that I could ever feel anything for you, but contempt. However, I will not lay the sins of the father on the son, because I can see how much your son loves her. I will support them both and be there in any way that they want or ask me to, because that is what a father should do." I said, before turning on my heel and walking out the door. Jake followed me back up to the bedrooms that had been assigned to us and I went looking for Mark, hoping to thank him once more before he returned to Forks.

I meant what I said about Emmett. My little girl loved him and no matter how big of an idiot his father was, I would make nice with my new son-in-law. My baby girl deserved every happiness in the world, and I would make sure she had it!


End file.
